


The Gamer's Guide to Freedom

by The_Dark_Wolf_Shiro



Category: Highschool DxD (Anime)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:36:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 137,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25999858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dark_Wolf_Shiro/pseuds/The_Dark_Wolf_Shiro
Summary: Kuro Dantalion isn't really sure how he got chosen to host the Gamer system, nor is he sure what the Gamer System is for that matter, but what he does know is that he is stuck in a world with insanely op assholes, dumb main characters and a plot he knows very little about. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the plot and less to the girls when he watched the show... too late now.When in doubt, Blame Issei.The Remake of the Gamer's Guide series (Necromancer and Conquest).Warning, this is a dark protagonist fic with a dark, and often evil, mc. I'm not going to give warning when bad stuff is coming so read at your own risk.
Comments: 156
Kudos: 358





	1. The Gamer’s Guide to Freedom (through Necromancy and Conquest)

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing**

  
  


**The Gamer’s Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 01: The Gamer’s Guide to Freedom (through Necromancy and Conquest)**

  
  


Death is a curious thing; you could ask a thousand different people from a thousand different cultures what happens after you die, and they’d give you a thousand different answers.

  
  


Apparently, they’d all be completely wrong.

  
  


**< Congratulations! You died! >**

  
  


As a childish feminine voice filled the purple void I’m floating through, I pause in confusion. I've spent the last few hours singing songs to amuse myself as I float aimlessly... but this was different.

  
  


...What?

  
  


**< Wait… oh shoot, that’s not right! >**

**< Sorry, let me try again! >**

  
  


What?

  
  


**< Congratulations Master! > **

**< Out of the billions of departed souls, you have been selected to become the next Gamer! >**

  
  


...What.

  
  


Wait, go back. Firstly, Gamer? I’m already a gamer, but somehow I think this means something sitting around in my boxers playing Skyrim for thirty hours straight.

  
  


Also… can you elaborate on that whole departed soul thing? How did I die, why was I picked, and more importantly…who are you?

  
  


...and why aren’t I freaking out more?

  
  


**< Well, to answer your questions in order, the Gamer is the wielder of a power that allows its user to live their second life like it's the biggest and most elaborate game ever! This entire multiverse is your sandbox, with complete freedom of action. >**

**< Be the Hero, be the Villain, or just ignore the main plot and do side quests or gather collectibles, whatever you want! >**

  
  


...What’s the catch?

  
  


**< No catch, master! Other than the whole dying thing, but that would have happened either way! >**

**< And yes, I’m sorry to say you are very dead. You can’t remember it because being burnt alive was a pretty nasty way to go, so I had to suppress the memories. >**

  
  


...Burnt alive?

  
  


**< Well, technically you died when the roof of your house collapsed on your head and crushed you, but you were on fire at the time. As for why the house burnt down… your sister was making cookies. >**

  
  


She finally did it: she finally managed to kill someone with her cooking. I knew it was going to happen someday. Did my family… I mean...

  
  


**< Oh! They survived, Master, you are just a really deep sleeper and didn’t wake up despite all the shouting until you actually caught on fire. >**

  
  


Oh.

  
  


**< Do you want the memories back? I was only trying to help… >**

  
  


On second thought, why don’t you keep them?

  
  


**< < Will do, Master! >**

**< As for how you were picked… I have no idea! The system administrator, and my creator, picked you. I’d suggest calling him, but he’s kinda a big meanie? >**

**< He’s also the original Gamer, Player One basically. >**

**< Also, he’s really, really powerful? >**

  
  


Don’t bother the stupidly powerful system admin? I can respect that.

  
  


**< Now, allow me to introduce myself! I am Isis, the newest iteration of the Gamer system, superior to my assh- meanie predecessor in every way that matters! >**

  
  


It's a pleasure to meet you, Isis. I’d introduce myself but I appear to have forgotten my name.

  
  


...Wait, what?

  
  


**< Yup. >**

**< Selective amnesia is a trait all Gamers get to help them adjust to their new lives. >**

**< As for why you aren’t panicked? >**

  
  


**[Gamer’s Mind)] (Passive)**

**Protects the mind of the User, preventing outside influences and access without the Users permission, prevents any negative status mental effects.**

  
  


**[Gamer’s Body] (Passive)**

**Allows the User's body to take on Game-like abilities, preventing the user from dying as long as they have HP no matter the condition their body is in.**

  
  


**[Observe] (Passive)**

**Allows the User to gain information about the target they are focusing on.**

**< Congratulations on your first two skills, Master! >**

**< As you have already guessed, [Gamer’s Mind] is preventing you from having a full mental breakdown. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the process! >**

  
  


That’s… good? Thanks?

  
  


**< No problem, Master! It’s what I’m here for. >**

**< Now, onto the fun part… character creation! >**

  
  


**< First things first, Race. Your world has been preselected and I can’t override the Administrator, but I can help you customise your background. You have a 1000 credits to spend on your character due to the world difficulty, and if you need more there are options that give you extra credits. >**

  
  


...I love this admin already.

  
  


**< Don't worry, he's already wandered off for another project and won’t be bother us anytime soon. >**

  
  


**Please select a race.**

**[Human] - Free**

**Faster skill growth and exp gain**

**Ability to purchase a sacred gear**

**Weaker racial bonuses than most races**

  
  


**[Angel] - 100 Credits**

**Free access to Light Magic and the Heaven Faction**

**Free use of All-Speak and Flight**

**Resistance to light and holy magic**

  
  


**[Fallen Angel] - 100 Credits**

**Free access to Light Magic and the Grigori/Kokabiel Faction**

**Free use of All-Speak and Flight**

**Resistance to light and holy magic**

  
  


**[Devil] - 100 Credits**

**Free access to Devil Magic and the Old Satan/72 Pillars Faction**

**Free use of All-Speak, Contracts, and Flight**

**Weakness to light and holy magic**

  
  


The list went on and on, with Vampires, Dhampirs, and Youkai, and even Dragons being on the list, although that last one cost almost 5000 points, so it’s clearly out of my price range.

  
  


But it did help me come to a realisation… I know where I’m going. 72 Pillars? Grigori?

  
  


I’m going to the titty anime.

  
  


**< ...That’s not an inaccurate name. >**

  
  


I watched… maybe two seasons at most before Issei's general existence pushed me to stop. I just couldn’t watch the oppai-loving idiot for one more episode.

  
  


And now I’m going to pay for it.

  
  


Shit. Right, thinking time.

  
  


DxD, what the hell happens in DxD?

  
  


Issei is killed and unfortunately comes back, Rias fights Riser to escape her engagement, a creepy fallen angel attacks the town, Issei is Issei, and he has his super protag power?

  
  


Boosted Dragon or something.

  
  


Oh, and Rias and the other girls lose their clothes a lot. That was the main reason I watched as long as I did to be honest.

  
  


...That’s as far as I watched. A friend tried explaining the rest of the plot and characters, but I just couldn’t care about a show with Issei as the protagonist. It seemed like an amazing world that was ruined by the dumbest protagonist since Naruto the flashiest Ninja in existence. Ninja, my ass, what kind of ninja screeches constantly?

  
  


Something about a Loli Dragon? And a Chaos Brigade? Cao Cao was there for some reason?

  
  


Fuck.

  
  


Focus, pick a race first.

  
  


Devils are the… good guys? Yup, that sounds utterly stupid so it must be true. Angels? I think they’re dying off since God is dead? Fallen? Basically the same. Youkai, Vampire, and Dhampir I know nothing about, and I don’t want to pick the losing side.

  
  


Dragon is out due to sheer cost.

  
  


Humans? Even if I get a Sacred Gear I’d either have to join the church (the losing side with their God dead) or be forced into a peerage as a slave. No, I think not.

  
  


Could I go neutral? …Fuck no. In DxD as a human with a Sacred Gear? I’d be a tasty snack thrown out into the waters, there would be a freezing frenzy, and no matter who wins, it won’t be me.

  
  


What can I do if a Satan comes for me as a human? Nothing. Even if I got strong enough to chase off one of the Satans, I’d never have a moment of peace. Might invite challenges.

  
  


So… Devil, because my only other choices are worse. Weakness to Holy magic will suck, but I’m a Game Character, right? I’ll just find the right gear to help with it.

  
  


Looting was always my favourite part of games, aside from the collectibles.

  
  


...do I get loot?

  
  


**< Naturally, Master! >**

**< Quest rewards, dungeon drops, and other forms of loot will be available to you! >**

  
  


Nice, Thanks, Isis.

  
  


Which means I can probably change my loadout to help me deal with my weaknesses, which is Gaming 101.

  
  


Devil it is, then.

  
  


**Race Selected**

**900 Credits remaining**

  
  


**Please select a background**

**[72 Pillars Commoner] - Free**

**Born as a servant or commoner living in the lands of one of the Pillar houses.**

  
  


**[72 Pillars Noble] - 100 Credits**

**Born into one of the Pillar houses of your choice, for an extra fifty credits you can be born as the heir.**

  
  


**[Old Satan Faction] - Free**

**Start your new life as a member of the rebellious Old Satan faction, seeking to depose the Four Great Satans.**

  
  


**[Neutral] - Free***

**Start unaffiliated with the other factions**

***This option can be adjusted further for credits**

  
  


Old Satan is out. Starting with the four Satans as my enemy? No thanks. There are easier ways to die.

  
  


Also, the commoner beginning has the same problem that being a human has. If I make something of myself, then I’ll be dragged into a peerage or I might be seen as a stray devil. How does that even work? Can the noble family just declare me stray if I don’t obey?

  
  


DxD was too busy showing us Rias’s tits to explain any of that. But I saw enough to know that even with a “good” King like Rias, peerage is slavery. I’d be forced to obey some noble who could be anything from kind to sadistic… and with Devils, I’m not taking that risk.

  
  


For the same reason I’m hesitant to join any pillar clan, Rias’s situation shows that even Heirs don’t have that much power, Rias’s parents decided she was getting married, and she had no choice in the matter, even with a Satan for a brother.

  
  


So… Neutral? What does that even mean?

  
  


The moment I tapped on it, dozens of choices flooded my vision. Do I want to be a stray devil for more credits? No, no I do not.

  
  


A neutral independent devil on earth? Also no, exorcists exist.

  
  


It’s.. in depth, with many, many choices for me to pick and choose from.

  
  


But there's only one choice really worth considering.

  
  


**[Extra Demon Noble] – 100 Credits**

**Born into a noble house of Devils that have separated themselves from the 72 pillars for a variety of reasons, for an extra fifty credits you can be born as the heir.**

  
  


Not under the control of the Four Satans, but still Noble and respectable? Yes please... and of course I want to be the Heir.

  
  


**Race Selected**

**750 Credits remaining**

  
  


On the next part there are... a lot of choices. Hundreds, so many that I feel like I spend hours going over them all trying to decide what I want. All choices towards modifying my background, tweaking things. Eventually, I settled on the ones I wanted.

  
  


**[True Neutral] – 100 Credits**

**All factions have enemies, but your House has done a wonderful job of keeping a neutral standing with even the factions that would be your natural enemies, allowing you to start with a reputation far closer to neutral than normally possible.**

  
  


**[Legendary Artifact] – 100 Credits**

**In the past, your House managed to get their hands on a legendary artifact. Which artifact? Well, that's randomised at the start, but you will start with a Legendary Artifact.**

  
  


**[Legendary Base of Operations] – 100 Credits**

**Your House’s home is the envy of the Underworld. You are able to choose from a set of customisable bases for your House to be based from.**

  
  


**[House Speciality (Wardcrafting)] – 100 Credits**

**Your House is known throughout the Underworld and beyond for their talents in Wardcrafting, your family's personal magical speciality.**

**You will start with a Wardcrafting Affinity, and will know some Wardcrafting**

  
  


**[Loyal Servants] – 50 Credits**

**You have something everyone needs, a servant that puts your needs above everything else, even their own life. You gain a customisable servant who comes with a Mastery in Cooking, Cleaning, and other Servant arts.**

**You also gain three non-customisable servants who will be chosen based on your start.**

  
  


I quickly figured out that you can sort of combine some of the choices. For instance, if I started with a Legendary Base and Wardcrafting, then my base would start with immense wards. My base of choice would then be a massive castle in a forgotten corner of the Underworld, where “my family” waited out the war between the Original Satans and the New Ones.

  
  


Having a fortress to hide in if things go wrong seemed like a good choice, as DxD is a dangerous place. The servant is to stop me from having to waste time with cooking and other mundane things given the background I selected for myself.

  
  


Affinities simply makes the related skill level faster.

  
  


**400 Credits Remaining**

  
  


...shouldn't it be 300 credits?

  
  


**< Hmm? Nope. >**

**< I definitely did my maths right and you shouldn't try recounting it in case you trigger those nasty audit protocols… why did Shiro even make a fucking Gamer’s IRS AI? >**

  
  


...understood. 400 it is. Thanks Isis.

  
  


**< For what, Master? >**

  
  


For what, indeed.

  
  


There was a choice to buy Peerage members, but I wasn't sure I wanted a randomly rolled Peerage Servant. Even if I got an Artifact that wasn’t useful to me, I can still trade it to the right people for something that was.

  
  


**< Right, now for your personal start, master! >**

  
  


It becomes apparent what she means when seconds later, more choices appear.

  
  


Skills, Perks, Starter Level, etc.

  
  


Skipping the first few levels would be nice, but early levels are easy to get, so it's not worth my credits... I'd rather buy some early skill sets instead to be honest, as Perks seem really expensive, and Isis happily tells me that any perks I don't buy can be earnt later.

  
  


**[Necromancy Affinity] - 100 Credits**

**You have a natural affinity for the art of death magic, starting with several necromancy spells and the materials to help you learn more.**

  
  


**[Realm Magic Affinity] - 200 Credits**

**You have a natural affinity for the art of territory magic, starting with some Realm Magic spells and the materials to help you learn more.**

  
  


**[Legendary Familiar (Young)] – 100 Credits**

**You start with a newly born legendary creature, with the proper care this creature will become an incredibly powerful familiar... but for now, it is only a baby**

  
  


I considered taking a warrior type affinity, like a samurai or an archer, but I feel like magic will suit me far better in the long run. I've always been partial towards magic builds. Also, who wants to be anywhere near the actual battle? That’s how you get killed.

  
  


Realm magic is to further my defensive capabilities, eventually allowing me to build my own personal realm to hide away in, and as for Necromancy?

  
  


I put a lot of thought into what kind of mage I wanted to be, and while blasting my foes with fire and lightning seems interesting... I'd rather have someone else do the fighting for me. DxD is a dangerous place, and I don't want to risk dying when I can make someone or something else do the fighting for me.

  
  


Which led me to looking at the types of magic that could help me get minions to fight for me. There were Elemental Summoners, who can summon elemental creatures to fight for them; Golemancers, who could craft increasingly powerful Golems to do their bidding; Demonologists, who could summon demonic beings and bind them to their will; Entomancers with their insects, and Druids with their beasts.

  
  


They all seem nice, but Necromancy? A horde of undead to fight for me?

  
  


Look, I realise that it isn't the “best” choice. Summoners would get a far more neutral treatment than Necromancers, but I do have my reasons.

  
  


One, Undead are cool. Two, Necromancers get Death Magic as well as the ability to raise the dead, which gives me both attacks and debuffs. Three, Undead are really cool and versatile.

  
  


Look, rule of cool, okay?

  
  


**< Cool is important, Master! Styling on your enemies is half the fun! >**

  
  


Exactly.

  
  


**< Now, we need to import your traits from your last life. Give me a moment. >**

  
  


**[Sin of Lust]**

**You are a lustful being; how that lust manifests varies from person to person, but the simple truth remains: you are really lustful.**

  
  


**[Sin of Sloth]**

**You aren't exactly... active, as a being of Sloth you tend to prefer solutions that don't require much effort. A true supporter of the “Work Smart, not Hard” mentality.**

  
  


**[Sin of Envy]**

**What's yours is yours, what is everyone else's should be yours as well. You hoard your possessions fiercely, and have a desire for the belongings of other people, wealth, power, and belongings.**

  
  


**[Sin of Greed]**

**You have an intense and selfish desire to gather as much as you can, wealth and belongings for instance. Far more than you could ever actually use.**

  
  


**< Oh wow! I haven't heard of anyone starting with four sins straight away! You really picked well by selecting Devil as your race - you'll fit right in! >**

  
  


...I wasn't that bad. Okay, fine… I was fond of sleeping, so what? Sleep is amazing, everyone loves sleep except stupid kids who somehow got convinced it was a punishment. Did I like having things? Yes. Did I like other people's things? Also Yes.

  
  


So what? Who doesn’t like having nice stuff?

  
  


As for Lust… I…

  
  


OKay, fine. You got me there.

  
  


Look, I am a product of my environment and upbringing, so technically this is all my family’s fault. What else is gonna happen when you force a thirteen year old boy into ‘Family Bonding Yoga’ with his hot mother and three sisters? Not to mention that it wasn’t my fault that my eldest sister had zero shame and a disregard for common clothing conventions, rarely wearing more than her underwear around the house when no-one but family is in, sometimes even less than that.

  
  


Nor am I to blame for the constant demands for me to give them massages or for me to put suntan lotion on the three bratty sisters.

  
  


I never should have taken that stupid massage class, sure it made me real popular at school but once my little sister found the certificate it was over for me at home. Suddenly my sisters got daily aches and pains and it was somehow my problem to take care of.

  
  


So, yes… I am a pervert, but I am not to blame.

  
  


**< Now we are technically ready to start the game, Master! A world of stupid powers, supernatural beings, and boobs awaits you! >**

**< There's just one thing left to do, and that is decide whether you want to try the perk lottery! >**

  
  


..Don't I need to pick a name?

  
  


**< Nope! Already done that for you, Master! >**

  
  


...Okay then. So, what the hell is the Perk lottery?

  
  


**< The Perk Lottery allows you to get a mystery perk each time you use it. This is the upgraded version so you will get to pick a 'theme' from your available themes and get a perk or drawback connected to that theme. >**

**< It's a game of chance, essentially and even I don't know if what will come out will be bad or good. >**

  
  


Can you get rid of drawbacks later?

  
  


**< Of course! Though the worse they are the harder they will be to remove! >**

  
  


...one roll, just to see what the rewards are like.

  
  


**Please choose the lottery you want to play.**

**[Necromancy] [Wardcrafting] [Realm Magic] [Devil] [Sloth] [Lust] [Envy] [Greed]**

  
  


Might as well start at the beginning and go with Necromancer; I don't know what the rewards and drawbacks are like anyway.

  
  


**[Deathly Presence]**

**The Death Magic coursing through your body has taken its toll, leaving you pale and somewhat sickly looking, and you give off a natural aura that most living beings find intimidating or off putting. Undead creatures find this aura appealing.**

  
  


...Looking down at my now pale white hand, I frown. I was always pretty white, but it was more of a normal slightly unhealthy pale of a man who saw too little sun instead of the unnaturally pale white I am now... and a quick check shows that I am cold to the touch.

  
  


This... this could be worse. It says undead find this appealing so that should help me with my Necromancy, even if it makes things difficult for everything else. I can work with that.

  
  


...Again.

  
  


**[The Rat King]**

**You have three undead skeletal rats of varying size that follow you wherever you go. They can be dismissed and resummoned at will, and will follow any order they are given. These rats cannot be killed as they will always resurrect near you a short time after their deaths.**

  
  


What? I mean, it's not like it is a problem, but what? What am I going to do with three undead rats?

  
  


I feel cheated. Another!

  
  


**[The Undead Crown]**

**Restore 5 points of Health, Mana and Stamina per second for every undead within 20 feet**

  
  


See, this? This is more like it.

  
  


Wait, do my rats count as undead for this? I'll have to look into that. I don't know how much health I'll have total, but a small regen is still extra regen.

  
  


Fuck it, again.

  
  


**< Really working for that Greed Sin, huh? >**

  
  


**[The Edge of Oblivion]**

**While you have a controlled undead within 250 feet, you have a 25% increase to INT and WIS, and take 25% less damage, but if you have no undead under your control within 100 feet, you take 100% extra damage from all sources.**

  
  


Ah. Hmm.

  
  


That's... it is a perk, but it also comes with some dangerous drawbacks. Even my rats who are suddenly seeming far more useful won't be very strong, which means they can be destroyed and while they are gone... I'll take double damage.

  
  


That... is a warning that I should stop pushing my luck with Necromancer draws.

  
  


...But I want to do more draws. I've always been a sucker for these kinds of things. Wardcrafter next.

  
  


**[Intense Wards]**

**Your wards are far stronger than usual wards, being more effective and far harder to break... but this comes at the price of them covering a smaller area than usual, larger wards will require more wardstones to power them.**

  
  


That... is pretty good? I would rather have small, but strong wards than massive wards as effective as wet tissue paper.

  
  


**[Wardbound]**

**You are connected to your wards far closer than any other Wardcrafter could hope to be, granting you bonuses... as long as you are within them. 50% stat boost and double mana regen while under a ward you created, 25% stat decrease while outside your wards.**

  
  


...Fuck. Small wards... and now I lose 25% of my stats when outside them? I should have known better than to keep pushing my luck, maybe just try one per theme?

  
  


Realm Magic time, come on...

  
  


**[Realm Bound]**

**While in an area created by your realm magic, you have a 100% buff to all stats and triple health, mana, and stamina regeneration, but while outside your realm, you have a 25% debuff to all stats.**

  
  


Okay, fuck me I guess. So that's a 50% debuff I have most of the time... and double damage if I lose all my undead?

  
  


**< I'm sorry, master! I can't control it! >**

  
  


Nah, it's fine Isis. I knew the risks and tried it anyway. Greed is a sin for a reason. The smart thing to do would be to quit while I'm not completely fucked... naturally that means it's time to roll for Devil.

  
  


**[The Devil’s Luck]**

**When it comes to games of chance, losing is all but impossible for you. Coins always land on the side you want them to, dice always roll the number you need and you’ll always draw the cards you require.**

  
  


And there we go, a proper perk that doesn’t fuck me over in any way. I’ll take a single perk for Devil and call it a day, I don’t want to risk too much.

  
  


Do I really want to even try rolling for my sins? Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? Sloth first.

  
  


**[The Ultimate Bed]**

**You gain the ability to choose one bed and make it the greatest bed in the multiverse. It will be the comfiest bed imaginable, always the perfect temperature and always in pristine condition. It doesn’t actually do anything, but when it is this comfy, who cares?**

  
  


...I need it. I have never needed anything more.

  
  


I don't want to get some major drawbacks, so I'll move on to Greed next.

  
  


**[Pot of Greed]**

**You gain a strange green pot with a smiling face on the front, once a week you can use the pot to make it fill with a material or substance you want. This can be anything from gold, gems, healing potions, to an excellent wine.**

  
  


The Pot of Greed? Seriously? I mean... damn, I'll take it but really? Now let's try... Envy.

  
  


**[Kleptomania]**

**Every so often you will see something that you just must have, it could be anything from a pencil to a national treasure, but once you see it you won’t be able to focus until you claim it for your own**

  
  


...Fuck.

  
  


Well, that's the game I suppose. There was always a chance of me getting something that screws me over, and there it is. But I wouldn't get a bad one... twice in a row, right?

  
  


That's... not bad? I like bonus rewards.

  
  


Do I even want to risk trying Lust? Damn it, I did every other type.

  
  


**[One is the loneliest number]**

**You can no longer deal with lust build-up yourself, as your own touch will no longer bring any satisfaction.**

  
  


You know what? Let's just move on from this. Isis, I'm done with the lottery.

  
  


**< Understood, Master! >**

**< Brace yourself, it's time to start. >**

  
  


Closing my eyes, I try to ignore the strange tugging sensation as Isis does her thing, only opening it when I feel a cold breeze across my skin.

  
  


**Race Unlocked**

**[Devil]**

**A being of the underworld, known for being seductive and deceptive creatures.**

**Stat Bonuses**

**[STRx10] [ENDx10] [DEXx10] [INTx10] [WISx10] [CHAx20] [LCKx15]**

  
  


**[Devil Physiology (Strengths)] (Passive)**

**Due to your Devil traits, you have the ability to grow wings made of your magic at will, use the Devil System of Magic, understand and speak all languages you hear, and the ability of dark-sight.**

  
  


**[Devil Physiology (Weaknesses)] (Passive)**

**Due to your Devil traits, you have a weakness to Light Magic, taking double damage from Light attacks. You take damage from being on sanctified grounds, and Holy Scripture deals you damage if you read or hear it.**

  
  


Note to self, avoid every being hit by Light attacks. I knew it was coming, but double damage is scary.

  
  


**Kuro Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 1 (0%)**

**Alignment – ???**

**Mentor – None**

**Apprentice – None**

**HP – 500 [100 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]**

**SP – 500 [100 regen per minute]**

**STR – 5 (x10) = 50**

**END – 5 (x10) = 50**

**DEX – 5 (x10) = 50**

**INT – 20 (x10) = 200**

**WIS – 20 (x10) = 200**

**CHA – 10 (x20) = 200**

**LCK – 10 (x15) = 150**

It's... not amazing, but for Level One? It is far better than I would get as a Human. My HP would be 50 if I was a human, since they don't get any stat bonuses usually, though they can get them with training, enhancement, or other means. It would have taken a lot more credits to get a stat bonus even half as good as a human, even if the Human Magician start was tempting, since it has slightly inferior INT and WIS bonuses without the weaknesses.

But DxD is basically stacked against the humans, unless you have something like a Longinus Sacred Gear, but they were ridiculously expensive.

**Legendary Artifact [Excalibur Rapidly] and [Pot of Greed] added to the Castle Trophy Room.**

  
  


Excalibur Rapidly?

  
  


Damn it. I'm a fucking Devil, what am I going to do with a Holy Sword that would burn my hand off if I tried to use it? Well... I can at least trade it to the Angels or Church in the future if I manage to get some... non-hostile relations with them.

  
  


The knowledge in my head tells me that it is a trophy from the Great War, as one of my ancestors managed to slay its wielder and brought it back home as a trophy, where it sits in a heavily warded display case to this day. It would take an Ultimate-Class being to break the wards on my Castle. That's why I chose this base and family speciality after all.

  
  


Don't get me wrong, Sirzechs, Azazel, or Michael could do it... but my neutrality means they would have to have a good reason to do so.

  
  


Sitting up, I look around the medieval royal chambers, my personal bedroom. Well, it was my parents bedroom, but I am the Lord of the Dantalion house now so it is mine instead.

  
  


Oh right, my parents are dead.

  
  


Yeah, I didn't want to end up in a Rias situation where my choices were taken away, so I made my background to be a recently orphaned Devil Noble Heir.

  
  


My parents left the safety of our castle to negotiate with Lady Serafall Leviathan over the possibility of us joining the 72 Pillars, and were murdered before reaching her. By who? I have no idea, that wasn't something I could adjust.

  
  


Look, it might seem cold to just kill off my parents... but they aren't _my_ parents, they are some old devil nobles who I would have to pretend are my parents to not attract too much attention to the fact that I am not the Kuro Dantalion they knew.

  
  


I'm the only Kuro Dantalion left, though, so I'm the one this world is stuck with.

  
  


Thankfully, Kuro is an insular and sheltered Devil Heir despite being almost nineteen years old, so very few people have met him. This castle is massive... but the only inhabitants are myself and four other people.

  
  


Me, and the four servants I bought with my credits.

  
  


It's located in the most inhospitable and empty corner of the Underworld I could put it in, deep in a frozen wasteland where very little can survive, surrounded by icy water, snow covered mountains, and jagged rocks.

  
  


As far away from the rest of the Underworld as possible.

  
  


Fortunately, my memories tell me that it is self-sufficient thanks to magic. Two of the servants I have “bought” are farmers, working on a farm made possible by magic and my family's wards to stop the ice from killing the crops and livestock. It's only a small farm, but it supplies enough food for me to live here without worry.

  
  


Better yet, the wards are under my control which means they count for Wardbound, so as long as I am in my families territory I get a 50% stat boost and double MP regen... of course I am also losing 25% due to Realm Bound, but it still helps off-put the trouble of that perk.

  
  


**Legendary Familiar [Nyx] added to the world**

  
  


Looking over to the side of the room, I smile slightly seeing my familiar sleeping in her open bird cage, the tiny black bird snoozing away. She'll keep doing that until one of the servants brings her breakfast, berries from the farm to be exact. My lazy Shadow Phoenix familiar, I remember finding her egg frozen over in the wastelands and bringing it home, watching as it hatched almost immediately after I melted the ice away from it. Nyx has been my loyal, but lazy familiar ever since.

  
  


She's still a baby at the moment; in fact, she can barely fly for more than a minute before she falls out of the air, but one day...

  
  


**Grimoires [Promraen Caro (Necromancy, Fleshcrafting Tree)] and [Reunu Pertemru (Necromancy, Mummification Tree)] have been added to your bookcase. [Liber Animas (Necromancy, Spirit Master Tree)], [Kroveri Haema (Necromancy, Blood Magic Tree)] and [Liber Mortis (Necromancy, Death Magic Tree)] have been added to Quest Rewards and Dungeon Loot.**

  
  


Looking over at my almost empty bookcase, I reluctantly pull myself out of the most comfortable bed in existence and move over to it, looking at the two books on the top shelf.

  
  


Somehow, I know that only I can take books from this bookcase, even the Satans wouldn't be able to take from it as I grab one of them.

  
  


Looking down at the leather book, I immediately realise just what kind of leather went into making this, the pages made of human flesh as I open it, giving it a deadpan look. Well, I knew what I was getting myself in for...

  
  


**[Promraen Caro (Necromancy, Fleshcrafting Tree)]**

**This Grimoire Contains the forbidden knowledge on how to shape and warp flesh itself, which can be used to both heal and harm. The more advanced methods hidden within its pages can even create life from death.**

  
  


The next book is made of non-human parts... though I couldn't tell you what the material in my hand is that makes the brown leather, but it certainly wasn’t cow hide.

  
  


**[Reunu Pertemru (Necromancy, Mummification Tree)]**

**The Grimoire contains the esoteric art once used by the Egyptian Necromancers, now lost to time. The spells and rituals within can affect the body, mind and spirit.**

  
  


This... isn't quite what I had in mind for Necromancy, but I can work with it. I imagined Skeletons and Zombies, but Mummys and... Abominations can work just as well.

  
  


**[The Dantalion Lexicon of Wardcrafting (Ward Crafting)] and [Eclipse, Codex of Realms (Realm Magic)] have been added to your library.**

  
  


**[The Dantalion Lexicon of Wardcrafting (Ward Crafting)]**

**The result of the Dantalion clan’s thousands of years of experimentation in the art of Wardcrafting, can only be read by a Dantalion.**

  
  


**[Eclipse, Codex of Realms (Realm Magic)]**

**The Codex of Realms, the ultimate guide for a Realm Mage in training. Within its pages lie the secrets to the art of Realm Creation for a mage with the power and materials to use it.**

  
  


I'm well aware that Realm magic is a... long term goal, but it is classed as a legendary grimoire, which means actually finding it would be an incredibly time consuming task.

  
  


Grimoires can be quest rewards or dungeon loot, but something like Realm Magic? Well, it would be a... difficult one to get my hands on.

  
  


Now...what is my goal? My plan for my new life?

  
  


It's simple: I want to get so powerful that none of the Ultimate Class beings around here (and there are far too many of them) can force me to do anything. Then I'm going to do whatever the hell I want.

  
  


I need power to enjoy my second lease at life, so that is my one true goal.

  
  


Get stupidly powerful, make my own realm, fuck off, and slack off there.

  
  


It's better to keep simple plans.

  
  


Moving to the balcony of my room, I lean against the stone railing and stare out at the frozen wastes. It isn't much, but it is mine, with the wards covering my castle going on for miles around thanks to my family's centuries of expanding on them, and this is all “Dantalion Territory”.

  
  


The cold air strikes against my naked chest as all I have to cover myself is a pair of silk pyjama bottoms, but it doesn't bother me. Honestly, I find the cold comforting... maybe because I “grew up” here or maybe it's my not-quite undead status. Nyx doesn't like the cold, but there's a ward on her cage that keeps it far hotter than everywhere else.

  
  


Behind me I hear a strange humming sound. Turning around, I spotted a small, purple glow appearing on the ground as three skeletal rats form, their bones scattered across the floor before they start to reassemble themselves.

  
  


Almost immediately I feel [Edge of Oblivion] kick in, my undead now within range to stop the double damage debuff as all three of the stare up at me.

  
  


The largest is the size of a large dog, perhaps a great dane or something similar, reaching my waist easily as it sits down, looking up at me. The second largest is the size of a beagle, far smaller than its larger pack-mate but still larger than a normal rat... and the smallest was normal sized.

  
  


Lowering my hand, I mentally order it to climb up onto my shoulder, smiling as it does, nuzzling me slightly. My [Deathly Presence] at work I suppose. They are... kinda cute.

  
  


The largest one shall be called Mickey, the smaller one Minnie, and the smallest one can be... Gadget.

  
  


Yeah, I know they are rats not mice, but whatever.

  
  


After giving Mickey and Minnie some head-pats, I order them to explore the area around my castle. As soon as they left my eyesight, I found that I can sense where they are and, if I focus I can almost see through their perspectives. Admittedly, I almost yelped when they jumped from the balcony, falling from the highest tower of the castle, and simply breaking apart as they hit the ground as I watched through their eyes..

  
  


A moment later, they quickly reformed on the ground, and scurried off into the distance. Was it faster to jump and reform than to move through the castle? Definitely, now that I think about it... but how did they know that?

  
  


Hmm, something to look into later. For now I just want to familiarise myself with the surrounding area and the castle. I have the memories, but they don't feel like _my_ memories.

  
  


**Realm Magic skills added**

**[Create Lair] (Active)**

**Creates a lair in a hidden realm, linking it to the realm you are in. The lair is customisable, but it requires more mana and raw materials the more complicated it is.**

  
  


**[Lair Teleportation] (Active)**

**500 MP to use**

**Instantly teleports you to one of your lairs, of your choice.**

**Ward Crafting Skills Added**

**[Wardstone Crafting (Apprentice)]**

**You are an apprentice at the art of forging wardstones, by taking rock and carving runes onto it.**

  
  


**[Wardcrafting (Apprentice)]**

**You are walking down the path of the Wardmaster, crafting wards to defend or attack.**

**Wards Known**

**Repulsion Ward - A ward that causes anyone that tries to pass through it to be knocked away with an adjustable amount of force**

**Detection Ward - An adjustable ward that can be fine tuned to detect things, ranging from any living beings, the use of magic to a specific race**

**Privacy Ward - An adjustable ward that can either prevent sight, scent and sound from leaving or entering it**

**Undead Ward - A ward that repels the undead away from its boundaries**

**Necrotic Ward - When triggered it curses the trespasser to take constant necrotic damage as long as they are within range**

  
  


...Ow.

  
  


Having a few years worth of ward crafting studies crammed into my head was not pleasant.

  
  


**< That's why I'm doing it in stages, Master! >**

**< Your Necromancy skills will come when your headache has faded. Brace yourself, I need to translate over some of your last lifes skills as well. >**

  
  


**[Masseuse Proficiency (Adept)]**

**You are a truly experienced Masseuse, able to massage away all kinds of aches and pains with your skillful fingers and gentle touch.**

**People who have enjoyed your tender touch gain double stamina and mana regeneration, and increased health regen for one day for each hour the massage lasted.**

  
  


**[Games Proficiency (Master)]**

**A true master in games of all kinds, board games, card games, video games, if it can be played you have done so, and you have done so well… few can match your skill in games, unable to best your strategies or challenge your reflexes as you combo them into oblivion. Achievements and Leaderboards are no challenge, and many a twelve year old have cowered in fear as you entered the lobby.**

  
  


...moving on.

  
  


I do appreciate it, Isis... at least this way it is just a slow, dull throbbing.

  
  


Interesting... my selection of Necromancy gave me access to more ward types. I have vague memories of using my experience with Necromancy and Death Magic to design the Necrotic and Undead Ward. Long nights spent modifying it over and over again.

  
  


The Undead Ward is pretty useless, considering that I’m pretty sure that I'm the only real Necromancer in DxD. I remember looking into that in the past, trying to look for anyone who used this type of magic amongst the devils, fallen, youkai, and the human magicians. The Sephiroth Graal is the only thing that even does close to what Necromancy can do.

  
  


Necromancy is my personal magic, one that even my family had no idea how I ended up with.

  
  


“Lord Kuro, you're up early today,” a serene voice said, drawing my attention to the tall woman who had silently entered my room, waiting by the door. With long, fiery red hair going down to her shoulders, she smiled at me as I look her over, a small jewelled necklace hanging down between her two perfect pale breasts, barely covered by her incredibly deep cut revealing blue dress.

  
  


This is Aria, no second name. Slaves don't need family names after all. Slavery isn't... illegal in the Underworld, and while under the Four Great Satans it was looked down upon, they didn’t really do anything when it actually happened. Aria is one of the slaves my family owns; one of four remaining ones, actually.

  
  


We used to have more, but father always took some with him, and most died in the attack, leaving the four I got from my background choices. Two of them are male, burly men who work the farms. I didn’t learn their names, since they are just... slaves. Hell, I don't think I've ever even spoken to them before. The other is another woman, and one who is often far less elegantly dressed than Aria. Usually wearing little more than rags as she cleans and serves us, Helia is a far less impressive figure.

  
  


But then again, she was also a less impressive woman in general.

  
  


Aria is special, because she impressed my mother with her intelligence when she was younger. They were all born into this life, as we have quite literally bred slaves to serve us during our long years in this frozen corner of the wastes, but while Helia has simply survived as a slave, Aria always wanted more.

  
  


It's why Aria found herself as the head of the household slaves, or what was left of them, while Helia remained at the bottom of the food chain. Of course, since Aria is the one I customised, of course she would be different, with the other three being just randomly generated.

  
  


And no, I haven't fucked her.

  
  


Father forbid me from bedding the slaves, since a Lord shouldn't bed mere servants. He was rather strict about that - well, strict about a lot of things actually with his own strange code of honour. He’s dead now though… but the last thing I need to do is die from a poisoned meal because I forced myself on one of the slave girls, who are literally in every part of my day-to-day life. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it though; her and the other slave girl have been frequent guests in the fantasies of Kuro Dantalion, and I can see why.

  
  


“Just... didn't feel like sleeping any more, Aria.” I said simply as I leaned against the rail of the balcony. “Is there something I can do for you? It's not like you to bother me so early.”

  
  


It is worth noting that it is almost midday.

  
  


“Before you were just the heir, but now I'm afraid all lordly business will come to you directly... and as such, you are needed to be informed of a... development.” Aria says slowly, pulling out a letter. “This was delivered by a familiar this morning, from Lady Serafall Leviathan.” Aria explained as she approached me, passing it over.

  
  


Oh great... I just got here! Can I have a day or two before they drag me into something?!

  
  


“Wonderful,” I muttered as I opened the letter. “Dear Lord Dantalion, my deepest condolences, a paragraph of nothing, request a meeting at your convenience, lots more other junk, Serafall Leviathan.” I paraphrased out with a frown.

  
  


She's awfully polite, considering she's a fucking Satan. I have no meta knowledge of her, but she is very well known even to the extra demons like me. Father made sure I was kept up to date on such matters, even if I was only really interested in mastering my magic.

  
  


“Thank you, Aria... Write a reply to her inviting her to the Castle... tomorrow at midday, then make sure everything is prepared. I don't really want her here, but it wouldn't do to shame the Dantalion name. Father might just crawl out of the crypt I stuffed him in if I did that.” I quip, making her smile sadly. She isn't mourning him, but she thinks I am.

  
  


My mother and father, and the slaves have all been interred in the family crypt outside the castle. The wards on the tombs would make robbing them... difficult, even for me. According to Kuro’s memories, they’ve existed for centuries, so it would be a while before I could do some grave robbing.

  
  


Fortunately, Kuro was always a lazy and mostly quiet person with a dry sense of humour he used to deflect, so no one is expecting me to break down crying or anything.

  
  


“At once, my lord. Helia is preparing your breakfast, just ring for her in the dining hall when you are ready to eat.” Aria says, curtseying before she takes the letter back, to store it in my fathers - ...in my office and to send our reply. “As always, if you require anything at all, you simply need to ask.” Aria says with a warm smile, before she left.

  
  


Aria was made to be extremely loyal to me and to my family. All my slaves are made to be loyal, since I spent credits on them, but Aria would throw herself from the tower if I demanded it. My family aren't cruel to your slaves, but we aren't particularly kind to them either. Good performance is rewarded and disobedience is punished.

  
  


I should have seen this coming; my parents were negotiating with her, so it should go without saying that she wouldn't take their deaths to be the end of it. What she wants is obvious, for the Dantalions (just Dantalion now) to rejoin the Pillars. Why wouldn't she? We are a pure-blood noble devil family, even if we have been removed from the Pillars for a long time.

  
  


And after the Great War and the Civil War, the 72 Pillars don't have close to 72 families any more. Far too many families were wiped out, either through infighting or war, and the 72 part of the faction name is kept out of tradition more than anything else. It's why all this worry about keeping the pureblood numbers high is going around, as Reincarnated Devils now easily outnumber the Pure-Blood ones.

  
  


It makes sense; if every Pure-Blooded Devil gets a Peerage, they can potentially make fifteen reincarnated devils, and while very few of them will become High-Ranked Devils themselves, those that do will get their own Peerage and start it all again.

  
  


No one in my family has had a Peerage because it simply isn't available to Extra Demons, it is one of the privileges the 72 Pillars enjoy, and one of the things used to lure stray families like mine into the fold.

  
  


I am absolutely going to abuse the whole, “You couldn't protect my family” angle to help me avoid getting dragged into the Pillars.

  
  


Serafall Leviathan would destroy me in the blink of an eye, but under my wards even she should have to act carefully, these are War Wards after all, made to stop invasions/assassinations, and they were never dropped after the war ended. I can't beat her, but under my ward I should be safe from her simply killing me on the spot. I don't know if they would kill her, but neither does she, and the Dantalion Castle wards are legendary. She can't risk testing her luck because the Devils really can't afford to lose one of their strongest fighters, even if we are “winning” the war.

  
  


It’s more of a cold war now, with each side preferring to dominate each faction via recruitment instead of actual confrontations. The Devils were winning this race much more easily with the Evil Pieces, the Fallen were getting the mere scraps, and the few angels they were making were falling (hence why so few angels left Heaven any more, since Azazel keeps making them fall), and overall, the Angels were just losing. 

  
  


...Damn it, they aren't going to leave me alone. A devil clan that's pureblood and can make just about any location a death trap to attack? It's a miracle they left us alone this long, but I guess she's just been too busy to try and bring us back into the fold.

  
  


The complete fuck up with the Nekoshou probably helped, Serafall has been cleaning that up for over a decade, and more importantly, my father held off all requests for years before he finally decided to see what the Pillars had to offer.

  
  


And now it is my turn to deal with the Satans who just don't know how to take no for an answer.

  
  


I need a plan, since just “Getting Good” is all well and dandy, but that's a long term plan... I need a short term one to work out what the hell I am going to do.

  
  


**Necromancy Skills Added**

**[Necromancy Proficiency (Apprentice)]**

**You have started the path of the Necromancer, bending the powers of death to your will.**

**Trees Known – Mummification Tree (Apprentice), Fleshcrafting Tree (Apprentice)**

  
  


**Mummification Skills**

**[Curse of Hallucination]**

**Causes the victim to experience hallucinations of the caster's design that are almost completely indistinguishable from reality**

**Able to be used as a normal spell or planted as a trap tied to a trigger.**

**Can be triggered immediately or after a delay**

  
  


**[Embalming]**

**A ritually cast spell that causes the target corpse to dry up and become immune to decay, it also increases the durability of the corpse toughening it without affecting durability.**

  
  


**[Curse of Enfeeblement]**

**A curse that causes the target to begin to feel weak, their limbs heavy, and they will be compelled to sleep. If they sleep, they will wake lethargic and tired, with their muscles wasted away. If the curse is not lifted quickly, the damage can be permanent, and will even kill people who are already weak.**

**Able to be used as a normal spell or planted as a trap tied to a trigger.**

**Can be triggered immediately or after a delay.**

  
  


**Fleshcrafting Tree**

**[Create Abomination]**

**A ritual that can cause a horrific mutation of living things, turning them into usually mindless, soulless abominations that possess great power, and are totally obedient to their creator.**

  
  


**[Calcify]**

**A spell that causes targeted living flesh to turn to a hardened stone-like form, and can affect entire bodies if the caster puts enough mana into it**

  
  


**[Warping Mend Wound]**

**A spell that warps the flesh of the target back into pristine condition, undoing injuries and wounds.**

  
  


**Death Magic Tree (Free Spell)**

**[Chill Touch]**

**A spell that summons a ghostly skeletal hand and launches it at a target. If it hits successfully, the hand will grip hold of the victim and deal constant necrotic damage until dislodged.**

  
  


**Spirit Magic Tree (Free Spell)**

**[Speak with the Dead]**

**A spell that allows the caster to communicate with the departed, calling forth their souls and allowing them to commune with the living. The spirits aren't forced to obey the summoner.**

  
  


**Blood Magic Tree (Free Spell)**

**[Blood Boil]**

**A spell that, when cast on a target, causes their blood to boil in their veins, causing excruciating pain and harm to both their circulatory systems and organs, but any and all damage is undone when the spell is ended.**

  
  


Once more... ouch.

  
  


Three spells for the two trees I have, and a free spell from each, huh?

  
  


I'm... potentially in trouble.

  
  


I only have two offensive spells, Chill Touch and Blood Boil, and Blood Boil doesn't do lasting damage. The Curses have potential of course, but without them doing damage, I'm in a bit of a dangerous situation.

  
  


My strength and endurance are terrible for a devil, so I can't be fighting up close unless I'm in a rush for my second death already. When I picked Necromancer I kinda assumed I would have an army of skeletons between me and whatever wanted to hurt me... but I am guessing that is a part of the Death Magic tree... which I don't have access to. Embalming a corpse is all well and good, but what the fuck am I going to do with a corpse I can't raise?

  
  


The fact that I got a healing spell of all things is interesting and could save my life even if the idea of warping my own flesh is... unpleasant, and maybe I can just Calcify my enemies, but I need to practice first...

  
  


Isis, how do I level up?

  
  


**< Unfortunately, this version of the Gamer System doesn't come with the Instant Dungeon creation. Instead, Dungeons are scattered throughout the world you are in. There is always an early level dungeon near the starting location. If you open your mini-map, it should direct you to all available Dungeons... except, of course, Secret Dungeons. >**

**< Good Hunting, Master! >**

  
  


Hmm, thanks Isis.

  
  


Ugh, I need to get some breakfast and think about this more.

  
  


… 

  
  


Helia is good at all the household duties, but I have to say it: She is a good cook. I'm not sure if it is a full English breakfast when I'm in hell, but that's what I had. Sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and mushrooms, all taken from our farm.

  
  


Magic is a wonderful thing, even allowing livestock to be raised in this inhospitable corner of hell.

  
  


Laying back in the hot-spring, I marvel at the skill of my ancestors who built this Castle. The wards keeping the water here fresh and hot are a work of art, and one that has existed here for generations without fail. I've checked over the various minor wardstones scattered around the Castle, and the main one beneath the Castle and all the wards are working as intended.

  
  


I've also found a Dungeon...which was mockingly close. The entrance is in my family crypt of all places. Undead are almost certain then... which is a problem, since my one true attack is Necrotic in nature, which I suspect the Undead are immune to… 

  
  


Well, thatWhich puts me in a bit of a bind.

  
  


… Well, not completely... because I have Create Abomination: .

  
  


tThe ability to create soulless slaves out of living beings, abominations to serve me however I desire, and... even as simple meat-shields, they will increase my survival chances considerably.

  
  


The problem... is that it needs living beings (obviously), preferably humanoids, in order to work. I'm not going to experiment on the slaves responsible for keeping me fed, which means I need... other sources of subjects.

  
  


As a Devil, I can make portals to the Human World easily, and I've been to quite a few of the less... watched cities before. The Church can't be everywhere, after all, they just aren't large enough, and they are only getting weaker.

  
  


I know it’srealise it is basically psychopathic to consider kidnapping humans for the sake of experimentation... but Devils have been using humans for profit and power for as long as we have existed. The Evil Pieces aren't that better than what I'm doing.

  
  


And I need defenders before I’m am willing to step one foot into a dungeon.

  
  


I also need to test out my cCurses to find out how noticeable they are, and. hHow subtle they can be.

  
  


I am _not_ willing to die again, no matter what. I will not spare some background characters at the cost of my own safety. I want to enjoy my second life to the fullest, and nothing will stop me from doing exactly that.

  
  


...but first, relaxation. Relaxation is important.

  
  


Leaning back in the hot spring, I smile as I reach for my sSake. I don't know why my family ended up inheriting so many Japanese customs and habits, but I can't complain... one of my ancestors was probably very active in Japan before our self-exile.

  
  


I think better when I'm relaxing anyway.

  
  


“I'll need a refill soon.” I warn without opening my eyes as I lean back with a smile.

  
  


“Of course, my lord.” Helia replies quickly, ever eager to please from her position in the corner of the room. She's dressed in what could kinda be called a metal black and gold bikini... if it wasn't for all the chains and the choker. Her body is mostly exposed except for the small metal garments and the chains connecting the “bra” of her uniform to her collar. Her long brown hair is tied back nearly, a single strand falling in front of her face as she bows, bringing over a new bottle from the magical cooler. My nakedness doesn’t bother her, considering she cleaned my body less than an hour ago.

  
  


It's not like I picked it, that was my mother. She liked to make sure the slaves knew their place. She was kind ofa a bitch like that.

  
  


Tonight, I'm going to pay a visit to one of the less supernatural towns on Earth... as hard as that can be to find. The towns that don't have the Church tend to have either Fallen, Magicians, Youkai, or Devils in them, so there really aren't that many places you can go and be completely free of the supernatural presence.... but Ffortunately, my father believed in knowing what was happening beyond our wards, and he was a thorough note-taker.

  
  


As long as I don't get caught by the Church, the other factions wouldn't even really care if I was going for humans. Other devils have done worse for sport, Magicians are so insular I doubt they'd notice a few missing mundane humans, Youkai only care for Youkai, and the Fallen are... well, the Fallen.

  
  


So, it's time to play a game called Kidnap the Human.

  
  


Humans. Better to be safe than sorry.

  
  


Taking another sip of my sake, I pause for a moment before nodding. I can do that later.

  
  


**< Sin of Sloth was definitely right, Master. >**

  
  


True, but so what? There's nothing wrong with being a bit lazy every now and then.

  
  


… **\- Later -**

  
  


Magic is overpowered.

  
  


Moving around the eastern European village, I smile at the utter lack of security cameras., Tthis place is basically stuck in the past (and I think it's been invaded by Russia like seven times), and that makes this so much easier.

  
  


No church presence, and there aren't any fallen or devils living here either. It's ideal basically. Devils have amazing senses compared to regular humans, and even without them... Gadget is scouting for me, as most houses have some form of hole for her to scurry through and check ahead.

  
  


It's late here, probably somewhere between one and three am from the darkness, and as I carefully break into one of the houses on the edge of the village, I smile to myself. There's no easy way to see the backdoor from the village, which means even as I simply break the lock and push it open, it shouldn't attract too much attention.

  
  


I've had Gadget check out a few houses so far, but this seems like the best choice after some thought.

  
  


An older man and woman, three sons and two daughters in their teens ranging from just past pre-teen to almost twenty from a guess. I'm taking the whole family, of course.

  
  


And I even know exactly how I'm going to do it.

  
  


Moving into one of the bedrooms, I move over one of the sons almost silently and place a hand over him, letting out a breath as I cast my spell.

  
  


After a mere moment, his head loses its fleshy colour as it turns a pale, chalky white. He never even awakens as his body turns to stone, leaving him a statue that makes his bed creak with the weight, even his pyjama bottoms turned from cotton to stone.

  
  


Lifting him gently, I lower him to the ground and move over to his brother.

  
  


It'll take some time to recover the mana I used for that, a couple of minutes to be exact, but I am in no rush.

  
  


Soon enough, another statue joins the other one, and a quick portal takes them both to the Underworld before I go back.

  
  


I've tested Calcify on a stolen cow, some rats I had my own rodents capture and a cat, and while a full transformation is... mana intensive, at least for now, it is something I can do. From my tests, the more flesh I have to turn the more mana it costs, and I believe the target's own END stat plays a part in the cost. I can turn some normal humans to statues, but if I was to try on say... a Satan, I'd likely drop from mana exhaustion before I even managed to turn a fingernail to stone.

  
  


Mana Exhaustion sucks, by the way. If I run out of mana, I am left... mentally exhausted until at left half of my mana has returned, it hurts to think, and I'm incredibly lethargic for the duration.

  
  


The cow was hard to turn simply because there was so much flesh to turn.

  
  


I also learnt something very interesting... if I cast Calcify on something I have already turned to stone, it turns back with seemingly no negative effects aside from some confusion.

I also learnt that if I use Curse of Hallucination on an animal and make it see a dinosaur, it freaks the fuck out and runs for its life. That'll teach the cat to scratch me, the little bastard. I didn't even kill the animals, once my tests were done, I just sent them back to where I grabbed them from.

  
  


The other brother is just as easy, the eldest most likely as he has a room to his own. He joins his brothers in hell shortly. Moving to the parent's bedroom, I slowly pull the sheets back from the sleeping couple, and get to work turning the fairly attractive woman to stone as she sleeps, her modest nightgown turning to stone as I smile slightly.

  
  


A smile that fades quickly as the husband opens his eyes, the bald, bearded man spotting me standing over a statue of his wife as his eyes shoot open.

  
  


We stare at each over for a second, both caught off guard before he leaps up, making my eyes widen.

  
  


In a moment of manic, I quickly recast Calcify, turning his lips to stone as his eyes widened in horror, unable to shout before he jumped forwards, his fist connecting with my chin, knocking me away.

  
  


In truth, the punch of a middle-aged human isn't going to seriously hurt a Devil, even one as physically weak as myself, and it is more reflex that makes me back away from him.

  
  


Thinking quickly as he rushes me, I cast again and smile as he falters in his step.

  
  


Calcifying things is a lot harder if they are actively resisting, I learnt this from the cat. It's why I am not trying to turn him completely right away... after all, a fairly large human has a lot of flesh, and I'd drain myself trying to turn all of him to stone.

  
  


As he lets out a muffled scream, he turns around and tries to flee, apparently not liking the way I just turned into a twenty-foot tall stereotypical devil, hellfire flooding the bedroom as its heat laps at his skin.

  
  


The Curse of Hallucination is a powerful tool, and I can affect more than just sight. If I want my victim to hear a booming laugh, to smell the sulfur and feel the heat of the flames against his skin... he will.

  
  


The more complicated the hallucination, the more mana intensive it is, naturally, but I believe it uses the targets WIS to decide mana cost. His isn't that high. As he rushes for the door, the walls warp, stone covering the door frame and window as he lets out a moan of despair, looking around in terror.

  
  


Naturally, they are wide open, and he could walk right through the open door frame, but people tend to trust their own eyes too much, and as the demon approaches him, cackling as it holds his wife in its hand as she screams and struggles, he backs away into the corner.

  
  


Another trick I have learnt is that I can make myself invisible to a single target by taking over their senses, by replacing myself with an empty space, replacing any noises I make with silence. It's kinda hard to do, but I got some practice on animals.

  
  


Skittish ones like the cat, who would hiss and scratch at me if it saw me, so it was good practice in hiding myself by messing with its superior senses. Many failed attempts ended with my legs being scratched.

  
  


Then I tested it again on Helia, hiding myself from her as she did her duties. I messed up a few times, specifically with scent or sound mostly, but I did manage to hide myself from her.

  
  


Touch is the hardest sent to fool, even hiding the feeling of my hand brushing against her cheek was very, very hard and I'm certain she noticed... something. I'll need to practice more.

  
  


Moving closer to him as he cowers in the corner of the room, I decide to end this before my mana is emptied as the curse takes mp to keep up, and subdue him the easiest way I can think off.

  
  


By clubbing him over the head with his bedside lamp.

  
  


**< Heh, it made a nice whacking noise. >**

  
  


Okay, maybe it wasn't very 'elegant' for a Devil Mage such as myself, but I don't have any spells for easily subduing people at the moment, and it got the job done. Sometimes you need to just beat someone’s ass until you’ve won.

  
  


I have a healing spell anyway, and once my mp has recovered I'll fix any damage I may have done to his skull... or maybe not since he'll be mindless when I turn him into an abomination anyway.

  
  


Waiting for my mp to recover, I take a moment to have Gadget check on the daughters, letting out a breath as they both sleep soundly. Turning the man into a statue, I take another quick trip home and drop him and his wife off.

  
  


The daughters prove just as little a problem as their brothers did, and they join the rest of their family without any issue, leaving me smiling in the empty house as I call Gadget back to her spot on my shoulder.

  
  


Devil portals do leave a... trace, but all anyone who looks into them will be able to tell is that a devil made a portal back to the Underworld, and nothing else. Sure, I'm incriminating my race, but personally, I have left nothing that will give my identity away. Even if the Church looks into the mysterious disappearance of an irrelevant family in a tiny irrelevant village in an equally irrelevant country, what are they going to do? They hate devils anyway, and we are technically still at war since this peace is just a temporary cease-fire. There isn't a single religious symbol in this house, which is one of the reasons I picked it, so even if they are religious, they aren't zealously so.

  
  


The Church should have little reason to care. People disappear all the time.

  
  


Heading home, I smile as we appear in a small dungeon, looking around with a nod.

  
  


Create Lair is a spell that I can cast with my current capabilities, even if it took quite a bit of my family's gold to make this place, but I think it will be a good investment.

  
  


Moving the latest statues to the open iron cell door, I place them down with the rest of their family and look around my 'lab'.

  
  


There are two cells in my lair, one for imprisoning people and the other… Well, it’s for dealing with ruly prisoners probably, judging from the bloodstained wooden chair against the wall, shackles hanging next to it and the table full of… tools.

  
  


On the tables against the wall, several beakers of mysterious liquids bubble and hiss occasionally, the only light coming from some strange green candles, there are skulls and jars of eye-balls and other organs suspended in a transparent green liquid on the shelves, and more importantly, there is a large slab in the middle with restraints ready to hold someone down.

  
  


Apparently... my power, or more likely Isis, has a sense of humour. When I decided to make my Lair in the castle dungeons, I chose Fleshcrafters Lair from the available choices, and this dimly lit room is what I got.

  
  


It does come with some alchemy equipment though, a simple Mortar and Pestle, Alembic, Calcinator, and Retort, plus plenty of empty glass vials all on one of the tables... if only I knew how to use them. Something to look into when I have more time.

  
  


Moving the statue of the father to the slab first, I calmly start to turn him back, knowing that he should still be unconscious as I do, and smile as my prediction is proven correct.

  
  


While he lays there, unconscious from a particularly unpleasant blow to the back of his head, I pause for a moment before I strip him naked of his sleepwear and attach the iron shackles to his arms and legs.

  
  


A look over his body tells me that while he isn't some bodybuilder, he is in decent shape, probably a farmer with an active lifestyle at a guess, but the shackles will hold him easily enough. Hmm... his wife was a lucky woman before she was turned into a statue and kidnapped by a devil, I can see why they had so many children.

  
  


Now... onto the main course.

  
  


Despite my spell description calling it a ritual, it's really just a long spell that doesn't need any real preparation other than a target that can't run away mid-casting. It isn't something that I can do mid-battle, or hope to do on someone who isn't bound but with the right preparation, it really isn't that hard.

  
  


Getting started, I hold my hand over his immobile form, starting to cast as my hand glows with an eldritch green glow, an emerald mist falling from it and moving into his body.

  
  


The reaction is immediate as his skin turns an unpleasant grey, which would be more noticeable if he wasn't thrashing about, screams of pain leaving him as his eyes shoot open, fear and pain in them as he flails.

  
  


As his body starts to grow, a part of me pities the man. He did nothing to me, if you ignore the punch... which considering I had just turned his wife into a statue was pretty tame and well-deserved, he was just a normal human living his normal human life.

  
  


But I need monsters if I am going to try and clear that Dungeon, which I need to do if I want to level and actually ever stand a chance outside the walls of my Castle. This is DxD, and I can't afford to let pity stop me from taking any and every advantage I can grab. If surviving... no, if succeeding in this world means ruining the lives of others, that is exactly what I will do.

  
  


My survival takes priority over everything else, and having abominations at my command will make everything easier... and that's why I simply shut out his screams of pain, ignoring his pleas for mercy and prayers for salvation, even as they make me flinch as he prays to a dead god.

  
  


His hands are the first thing to change, his fingers lengthening as large claws grow from this even as I stare in a mixture of horror and awe... his body is growing... but his skin isn't as it tears in places, I can even see the bone through the gaping holes in the back of his hand, skin and muscles stretched over a far too large skeletal structure. I can see his arm bone in several places on his arms.

  
  


His legs don't change much, even as they grow slightly more muscular, but his torso and back aren't spared the change either, ribs bursting out of his chest as his stomach opens up, exposing his innards to the air, and his spine grows... spikes as they break through his skin a dozen of them going down his back. I can't decide if I am horrified or impressed at what my magic does to the man, but I do think I am leaning towards... awe.

  
  


Those claws look like they can tear apart a regular man with ease, and my mind rushes with ideas for what I could have this beast do.

  
  


His face doesn't change... that much. Well, I suppose the massive fangs growing from his teeth are kinda different, and the fact that his eyes have become completely green and have started glowing is a bit new... also, the way mist pours out of his mouth with every panting breath is pretty cool. Also, I don't think his nose was that... inwards before. Oh, and his ears have basically disappeared just leaving a pair of holes... and his skin has torn, exposing flesh and bone on his skull in a few places.

  
  


But other than that, he looks the same.

  
  


As my spell stops, he simply lays there, staring up at me with an unreadable gaze.

  
  


That... took quite a lot out of me, but I'm both in a zone made by my realm magic, under my wards and I have my three rats nearby, so I am at my strongest at the moment, and I quickly recover.

  
  


“Can you hear me?” I ask after a moment, surprised when it nods at me, a grunting noise leaving it. “Good. I'm going to do the same to the rest of your family, you realise that don't you?” I ask, making it tilt its head at me. “Your sons, your daughters, your wife. They are all going to suffer like you did, their bodies twisted and broken. I might even have some fun with your wife and daughters first, maybe I'll make you hold them down as I violate them.” I say casually, watching him carefully as he stares back, not even a hint of a father's rage in his eyes.

  
  


I just want to make sure this thing isn't going to take my head off the moment I undo the restraints, but even as I threaten to rape his daughters and wife, he just stares at me blankly.

  
  


...One last test.

  
  


Raising my hand, I call on the only Blood Magic spell I know, Boil Blood. He is still living after all, somehow. I don't think he needs food any more, though he can eat and he does need to breathe. He does still have blood inside him though... and as I cast my spell, he starts writing once again, letting out inhuman roars as he struggles so hard he simply breaks free of his restraints, the iron chains attached to the shackles snapping as he thrashes around... cancelling my spell immediately I get ready to throw a Chill Hand at him and run for my life as he stops flailing, rising from the slab as he rises to his full height... almost eight-foot tall at a guess as he stares down at me.

  
  


And then does nothing at all, simply staring.

  
  


“...Kneel.” I order after a moment, watching as he drops to both knees immediately, still eye level with me as he obediently watches me, waiting for his orders as I start to laugh, my fear fading.

  
  


Lashing out, I punch him in the face as hard as I can, immediately flinching as a jolt of pain runs through my arm.

  
  


...I don't know how to throw a punch, and he is really hard.

  
  


He lets out a questioning groan, but he doesn't seem to care that I attacked him, just staring at me with glowing green eyes, the outer part of his eye is a darker, emerald green which gets brighter the closer to the centre of his eye you get. His pupil is so bright it might as well be white.

  
  


**Ghoul**

**Tier One Fleshcrafting Abomination**

  
  


Hmm...

  
  


Moving to the cell, I look over my other prisoners.

  
  


“Ghoul, grab the statue of your eldest son and move it to the table.” I order, watching as he moves past me, grabbing the eldest male without a moment of hesitation. “You broke my restraints... so hold him down.” I order as I start to undo his calcification.

  
  


Smiling as he obeys, I get to work again.

  
  


**\- Later -**

  
  


As the newest Ghoul rises from the slab, it joins its family and stares at me, four unholy abominations awaiting orders.

  
  


One father and three sons. I haven't turned the women yet, but these four should be enough for now. I don't know what the tomb dungeon is like, and if I take too many, it'll simply become too crowded for me to see anything.

  
  


Also, even magically changed, I'm not sure how useful a thirteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old pair of girls with zero muscles will be fighting the Undead. The mother might be more useful, but even she barely has any muscles. I want my abominations to be made from the best materials and the physically fit men make better monsters anyway.

  
  


**Sin of Lust... check, lol.**

  
  


That's not... you know what, I'm not even going to dignify that accusation with a response.

  
  


**Master, I love you... but I'm in your head.**

  
  


That's fair.

  
  


Checking the time, I frown as I realise that it is... late. I don't have time for more tonight if I want to be awake and any form of aware when the fucking Satan arrives.

  
  


...fuck my life.

  
  


Leaving the lair realm, I close the door in the dungeons that physically connects my tiny realm to the Underworld with a sigh, telling the Ghouls to stay there and wait for me to come back as I leave.

  
  


Tomorrow is probably going to suck.

  
  


**\- Michael -**

  
  


As the begging comes to a swift and sudden halt, he sighed on his father's throne.

  
  


He didn't know how his father had done it, listening to the final prays of the faithful he had failed.

  
  


It was the location that got his attention, a prayer coming from somewhere in the Underworld was always a sign that something had gone wrong, and the screams and pleas for his father to save him had made Michael... uncomfortable, flooding him with guilt as he sat in Heaven, unable to save the suffering mortal.

  
  


He knew not what had killed him, but he could tell it was excruciating for the poor victim, and he had listened to the entire thing if only to punish himself for failing another mortal.

  
  


It wasn't even that unusual for him to listen to the dying prayers of a mortal taken by devils, each one a punishment for himself. The Satans had tried to crack down on such things, but there were no real laws in the Underworld dealing with devils abducting mortals. Sirzechs and the new Satans tried, he could admit that... but Devils were slow to change and did not wish to give up the power they held over the mortals.

  
  


As a second prayer for help started, he sighed realising that the souls were from the same family, his guilt growing at his helplessness.

  
  


It was only after four such prayers did he realise something had gone wrong... the victims had died, he was almost certain of that... but their souls never came to Heaven to be judged.

  
  


How... unusual.

**\- Ophis -**

  
  


A new realm was just created?

  
  


No, too small to be a realm.

  
  


It wasn't there before, though? 

  
  


What was it? 

  
  


Where had it come from? Where was it for that matter? 

  
  


Somewhere in the underworld? Too small for her to have sensed its location.

  
  


Who made it? She didn’t know.

  
  


Could the maker give her back her Silence?

  
  


**\- Bonus Scene – Player Two wants to know your location -**

Okay, sure... he’d lost a new game system, and a multiverse.

  
  


Honestly, he barely cared, he had so many projects that the new Isis system and one of the multiverses he used for long term experiments was basically nothing in the grand scheme of things. He had a dozen multiverses he was using for long term experiments, and while Isis was one of the strongest Game systems he had ever made, or even seen, second only to his own really, he wasn't worried about her disappearance.

  
  


He wasn’t worried about Isis coming back to kill him with her new gamer either, he had millions of years head start, and despite everything he was a really good gamer.

  
  


The few dozen dead gamers were proof of that, none of them had even come close to challenging him even if he gave them every advantage from the start.

  
  


There was one ... tiny little problem though.

  
  


Isis and that Multiverse had been made for a very specific experiment, one that for certain reasons he didn't want a certain person to find out about...

  
  


“GET BACK HERE, EIS.” Player Two shouted, kicking his lab door down.

  
  


“Kuro! It’s great to see you again. What brings you to my multiver-“ Shiro said calmly, turning on every charisma perk he had, before his eyes widened, ducking under an arrow created from Necrotic energy strong enough to kill a Primordial God. “Okay... that was just rude.”

  
  


“Rude? Oh, I’m being rude? Let’s talk about rude you fucking mad scientist. Why is there a copy of Isis hosted inside a copy of me?!” Kuro Tepes, the only other Gamer he acknowledged as worthy of the title asked, red eyes glaring at him.

  
  


“...you found them? Great! If you could just point me in their general direction we can get this whole thing cleared- Oi! Stop trying to kill me.” Shiro said in annoyance as he dodged another arrow.

  
  


It wasn’t like they could really kill him, but Kuro’s attacks could actually hurt him, bypassing a lot of his resistances. In all the Multiverses out there, there was only one person who could theoretically kill him... and he was the only person who could kill Kuro so they had agreed not to fight each other... a long, long time ago.

  
  


“Tell me why there’s a clone of me, and I’ll consider it.” Kuro said calmly, more arrows floating around him.

  
  


“I was testing a theory, that’s all! Nature vs Nurture. I wanted to see how you’d end up if you had Isis from the start! Same starter world, different Game. I can go deal with them both if you... wait a minute, that’s why I can’t find them you bastard! You’re the one hiding that Multiverse!” Shiro accused him, scowling at his fellow Gamer and co-op partner of longer than either of them cared to count… no, they weren’t old...

  
  


It was no wonder he couldn’t track down the new Isis system if Kuro was helping her hide.

  
  


“Finally caught on, dumbass? One, stop fucking cloning me. Two, sometimes... very rarely, you have a good idea... and I kinda want to see how this goes myself... but I know you won't be able to resist messing with my clone eventually.” Kuro pointed out.

  
  


Okay, fair.

  
  


“...I’m literally the smartest man in every multiverse, if I am a dumbass, so is everyone else in existence.” Shiro pointed out after a moment. “Wait, how did you even get in... damn it Neo.” He deadpanned watching his wife wave at him with a grin from her seat on one of his lab tables, eating a handful of popcorn.

  
  


‘It’s funny watching you actually get hurt by something.’ Neo explained with a shameless shrug. ‘So... if you two aren’t going to try and kill each other, is it threesome time? Wanna make a Neo sandwich?’

  
  


“No.” Kuro and Shiro replied as one, if there was one thing they actually agreed on, it was that they didn’t share. Both had long since agreed to keep their hands off the others harem.

  
  


If he wanted to cuck a gamer, he could just make a new good alignment one and let them gather a Harem then break them for fun. It wasn’t worth the trouble for Shiro to go for Kuro’s girls, or vice versa. 

  
  


Neo was well aware of their agreement, not that it stopped her from fucking with them both for her amusement.

  
  


'Aww...' Neo whined, pouting. 'Then I'm gonna need one of you to go away, I'm horny and if I'm not getting double stuffed, one of you needs to get inside me right now... and I'm not feeling picky. Since Shiro seems so busy with his projects, wanna cream the Ice Cream?' Neo asked, hopping off the desk and strutting towards Kuro, her clothes simply shattering leaving her completely naked as she posed in front of him.

  
  


Oh great, she was in one of her moods again. 

  
  


She was probably feeling neglected over how long he had spent in his lab, even if he had his other bodies handling things outside the lab.

  
  


No matter how much she teased or insinuated, Neo had been completely faithful for literal aeons, but with Kuro she found it entirely too funny to try and talk them into a threesome, or to try and talk Kuro into attempting to NTR her away from him. Thousands of years of attempting, and utterly failing.

  
  


“First of all, I have my own Neo. Second of all, I've known you for too damn long to fall for that shit.” Kuro replied bluntly, giving Neo a long look before he chuckled, making her pout before she spun around and bent over the table, her ass stuck out towards them as she shook it slightly, her naked slit glistening with arousal as she smirked back at Kuro, even as he took in the view.

  
  


Shiro didn't care about people looking at what was his, as long as they didn't touch... it wasn't like he hadn't spied on Kuro and his girls for his own amusement before.

  
  


'Mmm... but after everything Shiro has done to annoy you, wouldn't it be satisfying to take his favourite girl and just... ruin her?' Neo suggested with a sultry smile as she shook her ass at him, even as they both rolled their eyes at her.

  
  


Oddly enough, if she tried this with anyone but Kuro he'd have interfered by now, probably disintegrating whoever else was involved. But Neo didn’t understand the ancient law… Bros before Hoes, even when it was his favourite Hoe.

  
  


'You could even beat him, then make him watch as you take me... again and again until I beg you for more, crying out your name. What better way to prove you've surpassed him than to make me your complete and utter bitch, just a set of holes for you to destroy?' Neo said as he finally scowled at her before a moment of realisation replaced his annoyance with amusement.

  
  


She wanted to be hate-fucked. Honestly, she could have just asked him instead of trying to find a way to piss him off first. At least she hadn’t decided to trash one of his labs this time… so many years of experimentation lost because Neo was bored and horny.

  
  


“Later, Shiro... I'm out.” Kuro replied, not even bothering to reply to Neo as she pouted deeply, looking at him with a mischievous smile.

  
  


“Later Kuro.” Shiro said simply, watching his best friend/biggest rival simply burst into shadows, vanishing from his multiverse before he turned to his wife with a stern glare.

  
  


'Was it something I said?' Neo asked, beaming at him.

  
  


“...on one hand, I know you're just trying to piss me off.” Shiro started, making her smile at him innocently. “On the other hand...”

  
  


With a burst of Divine Speed, he closed the distance, smashing Neo's face against the cold, unbreakable metal, his own clothes disintegrating from the speed he was moving. Sure, he could stop that from happening but it was cool so who cared?

  
  


He could play with his projects later. Right now, there was angry sex to be done.

  
  


Could Kuro have done what Neo was suggesting? Beaten him and taken Neo like she was suggesting?

  
  


Neo clearly didn't think so, she was sure that if they fought then he would be able to beat Kuro. She was sure that even if Kuro had taken her suggestion nothing would come of it except his death... but honestly? He wasn't entirely sure any more. Kuro could be terrifying when he felt motivated, and that was something he would only ever admit in the privacy of his own mind.

  
  


He was 70% sure he could beat his rival gamer, but that left a 30% chance that Kuro would be the one left standing if they truly fought, and he wouldn't risk everything on a chance like that.

  
  


Not that he would ever have to find out, he and Kuro were best bros forever after all.

  
  


...making a mental note to get rid of the other Kuro clones and destroy the genetic material, he nodded. Yup, best friends forever. 

  
  


Because if they ever stopped being bros, one of them was gonna fucking die, and he wasn’t taking the chance that is was gonna be him.

  
  


Putting it out of his mind, he got to work doing things to his beloved wife that would kill God and horrify Satan. Neo was one kinky bitch and even he had to work hard to keep her entertained.

  
  


It was a challenge he accepted with the greatest of enthusiasm. 

  
  


**Beta’d by Lucius Walker (on FF)**

**Author's Note: I’m back, bitches.**

  
  


**Well, actually I’m not really back but I just wanted to get the first chapter of the remake uploaded as it’s own story now that it has been all cleaned up and altered slightly. I don’t know when the next update will be but just know that it is coming eventually. I am writing a bit in the background, but I’m mostly just chilling, hanging around on discord, playing DnD and Yakuza… (if Kuro dramatically pulls his shirt off or gets a full back tattoo, someone come knock me out of it.)**

  
  


**New Game Plus and Sorcerer’s Ambition have not been dropped! When I come back from Hiatus I will be continuing them. Should have made that clearer on that before I went on Hiatus, would have saved me some trouble and pms lol.**

  
  


**My (possible) Beta has gone over around half of this, and when he has done the rest I’ll replace the chapter but that will just be grammatical fixes.**

  
  


**If you have any other questions your best bet is to ask me on the discord, I’m a lot better at answering questions there than I am basically anywhere else for some reason. Probably the reliable notifications tbh.**

  
  


**Story things.**

**Kuro won't be world jumping until DxD is completely 'finished', so he'll be here for... a long time. There’s a possibility that this is going to be a soft crossover with Fate, in the similar style that I crossed Witcher over with Harry Potter, placing the characters in the World of DxD. Is this so I have an excuse to include the legendary thighs of Rin Tohsaka? Maybe. People die when they are killed until a Necromancer is involved.**

  
  


**That bonus scene is basically Shiro's entire presence in this fic, he won't be appearing until much, much later on. Same with Kuro Tepes, who is still canon in the... 'Shiroverse'. Basically, Kuro Dantalion is a clone of Kuro Tepes made by Shiro for ‘experimental’ purposes. For shits and giggles, basically.**

  
  


**Kuro Tepes and Isis helped the new Isis run away and take Kuro Dantalion and an entire multiverse with her, for ‘important reasons’. To fuck with Shiro, basically.**

  
  


**Next Update: idfk**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9**   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Early Game Struggles

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 02: Early Game Struggles**

There are many things I want to be doing first thing in the morning.

Going back to sleep mostly or having a nice big breakfast... I'd even take working on my Fleshcrafting some more... instead, I am doing this.

“You have my thanks for agreeing to this meeting, Lord Dantalion, it's an honour to see the infamous Dantalion castle in person.” Serafall Leviathan, a woman who could sneeze in my direction and disintegrate me, say with a small smile as she sits opposite me in the meeting room my castle has... for some reason?

It's not like we ever let anyone in, but I suppose as Lord Dantalion it is up to me who can enter my castle now, and I don't want to leave the safety of my wards until I am stronger.

“The pleasure is mine, Lady Leviathan." I say politely, giving her a respectful nod. I am not part of the Seventy-Two Pillars, so I don't need to be utterly respectful... but let us not insult the scarily strong woman, alright?

**+5 Affection with Serafall Leviathan for setting a good first impression [05/100]**

The fuck is that? Wait, I need to focus.

If there is one thing that caught me off guard, it is how... professionally she is dressed. The admittedly incredibly beautiful black haired woman is dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and a very modest black skirt going down past her knees, showing very little colour as her pink eyes stare into mine, her hair tied into twin tails.

I've seen pictures of her on the Devilnet created by Ajuka Beelzebub, and she usually wears bright pink outfits that barely cover anything. If you type Serafall into the search bar, the first auto-correct result is 'Serafall Leviathan Panty Shot'.

The second is 'Serafall Leviathan Wardrobe Malfunction'.

There are... a lot of results.

Not that she likely cares considering how many photoshoots she has released, usually gravure softcore stuff, with skimpy magical girl outfits or bikinis. She's the most popular Satan for a reason, and honestly? Kudos for taking advantage of Devil-kinds affinity for lust.

She hasn't done outright porn, or even released any full nudes, but she certainly has a massive following. It was hard finding anything about her that was useful since it was buried beneath countless thirsty articles about her modelling.

Who cares that she has made a trade deal with the Queen Carmilla, of the Carmilla Vampiric Faction when she has posted a video of her taking a shower in a bikini three sizes too small?

Fucking Devils.

...it was a good video though.

“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way... first of all, allow me to give you my deepest condolences for the loss of your parents. I didn't know your parents that well, but their loss is a tragedy. Allow me to assure you that we will not rest until we have found their killers. My fellow Satan, Lord Asmodeus, is leading the investigation personally. I invited them to the Capital myself, and this attack was an insult to my office, one that I assure you someone will pay dearly for.” Serafall promises, the room dropping in temperature for just a moment before she reins in her magic.

“My thanks, Lady Leviathan. Do you have any idea who attacked them? Or their motivations?” I ask after a moment. “My family have very few enemies, after all.”

“Call me Serafall, and True...” Serafall starts before hesitating, giving me a long look before she continues. “I believe this attack was committed by my own enemies, not anyone aiming for your family.” she admits, a brief look of shame on her face. “I don't have names, not yet... but I assure you, the perpetrator will pay for this.”

**\- Serafall -**

Admitting that was a risk, but the former Lord Dantalion was a genius, and she had a feeling his son was very much that same. Lying or trying to hide the truth would backfire deeply when the culprit was revealed, so it was better to get it out of the way now.

It was utterly humiliating, to have the nobles she was on the brink of getting to rejoin the Pillars killed under her own watch, but she was pulled away to deal with a problem with a Noble Devil kidnapping a Youkai for his Peerage, and before she had finished calming the understandably furious Lady Yasaka, the Dantalion's were dead.

“I see... someone wanted to damage your reputation, and assassinating someone in the middle of the capital, who you invited, would do that.” Kuro said after a moment, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face, a pair of surprisingly expressive deep pink eyes staring at her, one of them barely hidden by his short black hair as it hung over his face.

He was a bit older than Sona-tan, and while Devils aged weirdly, she'd place him in his late teens or early twenties in Human terms, unlike Sona and Rias who were sixteen.

Kuro was hard to read, almost emotionless as he stared her down, with only the slightest hints of what he was feeling crossing his face. Oddly enough, grief wasn't one of those emotions.

Anger, yes... as brief as it was, but very little sorrow.

She had read a report that Kuro Dantalion was a borderline sociopath from the brief times he left the safety of the frankly terrifying wards surrounding this castle, but even his parent's deaths seemed to have barely shaken him.

“That's correct, we have confirmed that they were killed by Devil Magic, but for now I have nothing else I can tell you about the attack.” Serafall admitted making him tilt his head slightly.

This wasn't the first time her plans had been destroyed by an outside force, and it was one that always seemed to be able to vanish right afterwards, leaving her looking weak and foolish.

She had her suspicions, but she couldn't accuse the Old Satan faction without proof. The Old Satan faction made up almost a quarter of the Houses in the Seventy-Two pillars, and she couldn't afford to alienate them even if they were almost certainly plotting against them.

The Devils were in the strongest position at the moment, but if they ended up in another Civil War? The Fallen would likely surpass them in power. Every single House was needed, especially with so many having gone extinct.

There was not one, but two civil wars brewing amongst the Devils. If the Old Satans and the New Government didn't end up fighting, then the Pureblood Devils and the Reincarnated ones would.

The Pureblood Houses were starting to get intimidated by how many Reincarnated Devils there were, and the Reincarnated Devils were starting to grow unruly under the control of the Pureblood Devils who held all the power.

The Purebloods needed to be calmed before anyone did something stupid, which was why she was trying so hard to get the Dantalion's to return to the fold. Another Noble Pillar family returning to the Pillars would make them happy, even if it was a family of one. Happy enough to stop pushing for laws or reforms that would push the Reincarnated Devils into open rebellion.

The Reincarnated Devils wouldn't win, of course, the Purebloods had almost all the Ultimate Class Devils and the most powerful Peerages, but they needed the numbers. They were at war and even as she and the other Satans worked with Michael and Azazel to keep them in a cold war, every side had factions wanting the bloodshed to start again.

There were Angels and Fallen who would push for an attack if the Devils showed weakness, and Michael and Azazel could only do so much.

“I see.” Kuro said after a moment, remarkably calm. “Which means if I continue these negotiations with you... they might attack me.” he pointed out as she nodded, not bothering to lie about that.

“They might try, but I have spoken with my fellow Satans, and we have made a plan, if you are amiable to continuing negotiations. Firstly, how much do you know about the agreement your father and myself was working on?" she asked, watching him pause.

“Not much, admittedly. My father was a meticulous note-taker... but he left little about his negotiations with you." Kuro admitted though she had no idea how truthful that was. It could be an attempt to test her truthfulness, or perhaps the former Lord Dantalion had kept his son in the dark.

“Then allow me to bring you up-to-date. On your family's side, the agreement would have the Dantalion's rejoin the Pillars in their old position as a Duchy, the highest-ranking a House can be, and allow the Satans to purchase wards from your family." Serafall admitted. Falbium wanted pretty much every military location secured by Dantalion wards, and there were other locations they wanted protecting.

“That would be a slight issue... I'm little more than an Apprentice in my family magic.” Kuro admitted as she smiled gently at him.

“Understandable, your father mentioned as much. His plan was for you to join him in warding to gain more experience. We can change that part of the agreement easily enough.” Serafall assured him, making him shake his head.

“I have the family Grimoire, and everything I need to further my family's art... but it will take time to get up to the level where I would be comfortable selling them to the Satans.” Kuro said after a moment. “If I agree, we would simply have to change the timescale. If I agree.” he repeated.

“I'll keep that in mind. Another part of the agreement included these...” Serafall continued, placing the case she had brought with her on the table, opening it up to show him the Chess Pieces inside. “It was originally two sets of Evil Pieces, one for you and one for your father." she admitted as he looked them over, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The final part agreed upon was for you to gain a town on earth to rule, in the same way, that both my own little sister and Lord Lucifer's sister are doing."

“Tell me... what would be expected of me if I agreed?” Kuro said, looking away from the pieces after a moment.

In truth, she didn't like dealing with someone she knew so little about. His file was very, very small, with barely any details other than rumours of his sociopathy and apathy.

Even his Devilnet activity didn't tell her that much, and as a Satan, she could see everything anyone using it was doing. All Kuro did recently was research her, looking over articles on her actions, both recent and ancient. Then he spent even longer looking over the various photoshoots and videos she had put out.

It was an easy way to gain popularity, and she liked the attention. It was just some bikini or magical girl sets anyway, and there was nothing shameful about being seen in a bikini... even if she was posing provocatively, making alluring sounds as she did.

Even being a softcore model who ran around dressed as a magical girl, she was still one of the more normal Satans.

It did tell her that Kuro was Lustful, she was fairly worried that he might be a Slothful Devil like Falbium in which case getting him to agree to anything would be almost impossible.

Purely Slothful Devils were the worst to deal with, since they never wanted to do anything.

“The two main things are simple. As a member of the Pillars you would be expected to follow the laws set down by the Government, and in the event of the war becoming... hot again, you would be required to join, though I can already say you wouldn't be on the front lines, warding is too powerful for us to risk losing you in battle."

**\- Kuro -**

...That's it?

I've looked over the laws, and there are so many loopholes that Pureblood Devils, especially ones in the higher positions... like for instance a Duke could take advantage of. I don't mind following the laws they have set at the moment, and it takes years for new laws to get set in place... Devils are slow to change, and I can use that to my advantage. I'd have years to grow strong enough to break free of the Pillars if they start making rules I don't like.

Most of the rules only cover other Devils, there are no laws dealing with humans or other races since the more... traditional Devils resist them violently.

As for the war thing? Does war ever break out again? I vaguely remember there being a peace conference that the Old Satans or someone else attacks, but the three factions don't fight again in Canon...

None of the leaders wants to fight again, so I don't need to worry that much about that either. Even if it does... she has a point. As a Warder, especially if I get better with them, I'd be too important to be made fight on the front lines.

The only real problem is one of my own making...

“You said you and your fellow Satans had a plan to prevent me from joining my parents if I was willing to continue negotiations?” I ask after a moment, if I can be ensured safety... I might not mind rejoining the Pillars (for as much as I can get out of the Satans).

“We do. Originally, we had a town in China picked out for you to 'rule' after an agreement with the Chinese Pantheon, however... Lord Lucifer brought up a decent point. In Kuoh, there are already two Devil Heiresses in one place. Kuoh is a town where it wouldn't draw too much attention for there to be additional security, and it is a place that both myself and Lord Lucifer visit regularly." Serafall explained as I resisted the urge to facepalm. "As such, you moving there... even only part-time if you would prefer, would make it easy to protect you, put you in a position to interact with your fellow younger Devils and let us continue negotiations. Consider it a... trial period, one which you can simply call off and return to your castle and isolation whenever you desire. Being in the mortal realm should help you build your Peerage as well, as you are unlikely to find many promising recruits in this desolate corner of the Underworld.” Serafall points out with a teasing smile as I pause.

Why am I not surprised that she wants me to go to Kuoh?

That being said... is it really that bad?

I looked into Rias and Riser's marriage... and it hasn't happened yet, nor has their been a Rating Game announced, so I think I'm pre-season one since it's late summer, so school should be starting soon.

Which means... right now there are two free Sacred Gears in weak humans in Kuoh. Issei obviously has the Boosted Gear... but the one Sona recruits has... Absorption Line?

This Kuro looked into Sacred Gears when he was researching his powers, so I got a bit of a knowledge dump over them.

Actually... Asia will be showing up soon if I got my timing right, and that means there are three Sacred Gears up for grabs...

I want them.

What were the early threats in DxD? How dangerous is Kuoh really?

Riser? Not my problem, I have no reason to help Rias and even if I get involved... they want me in the Pillars too badly for him to seriously hurt me. It'd be embarrassing to lose to him, but not the end of the world.

Raynare? She was kinda trash tier if I remember, so was the other Fallen. If I can train to be strong enough to handle her (or have strong enough minions), I can take Asia without an issue.

Freed? Crazy, could probably just avoid him by not taking contracts. If nothing else I can throw abominations at him and run back to my lair.

As long as I am gone before Kokabiel shows up, I should be fine, even if the Exorcists might be a problem... since I kinda have one of their swords in my trophy room.

Hell, I could even trade it back as part of the Peace Agreement for easy approval from the Satans and Heaven. I can't use it, after all.

So, Kuoh isn't exactly the worst place I could go to. I have future knowledge, I know where three powerful tools are going to be, and I can avoid most of the dangers...

It really isn't the worst place I could end up. It might even be safer than anywhere except my own castle, my foreknowledge keeping me safer than I would be anywhere else.

“To be clear... if I accept, I can return to my lands whenever I want?" I ask after a moment, watching her smile. Realistically, I have no chance of out negotiating Serafall, she's the head of Foreign Relations for Devil kind, after all, she has centuries of practice negotiating with people far better at this than me, and often comes out on top.

Letting this get drawn out would be a mistake.

“Of course, you are Lord Dantalion after all, even us Satans can't order one of the Pillar Lords to remain in one place without very good reasons.” Serafall assures me easily.

...I really want the Sacred Gears I know are just sitting in Kuoh.

I realise this is my kleptomania speaking, but I want them.

“Very well... I will accept, for now at least. If I find Kuoh, not to my liking then I will return home and call it off, I lose nothing by giving it a try." I say after a moment, making her beam at me.

**+10 Affection with Serafall Leviathan for being far more reasonable than she expected [25/100]**

But there is one thing I can say for certain... I am not going to fucking Kuoh at level one.

**\- Later -**

Serafall is a busy woman, so I wasn't really surprised that she didn't stick around long after getting me to agree, only getting me to look over and sign some paperwork which was just a written version of what she had already said.

...She did give me something else along with my now attuned Evil Pieces though.

Reaching into my inventory, I pull out the small photo with a deadpan stare, looking down at the signed photo of Serafall posing with a sultry smile, wearing nothing but a tiny black bikini bottom, her hair wet as it hangs down, covering her breasts slightly.

She said it was a gift for a fan... but it is basically an admittance that she knows I spent a lot of time looking her up last night. Why admit they looked into my search history? I expected they would, Ajuka invented the Devilnet (with some rumoured help from Azazel), so of course they can spy on people using it, but why outright tell me she knew?

I can't tell if it was a gift or if this is some power play.

Super Rare Serafall Leviathan Topless Photo added to inventory.

If she was acting seductive when she passed it over, I could understand it as her using her charms to try and keep me following her plan, but she basically just went 'Here, I saw you liked my pictures so you can have this unreleased one.'

Handing over topless pics of herself as casually as she would discuss the weather.

Well, I knew what I was getting in for when I joined the Devils.

Taking a deep breath, I push forwards and enter the dungeon portal, my three ghouls following behind as we enter a stereotypical fantasy crypt, far less extravagant than my own family crypt.

I need to level, and right now this is the only dungeon I know the location of.

As the coffins around the room burst open, skeletons climb out of them, glowing blue eyes glaring at me even as my ghouls move in front of me, Gadget sitting in my pocket to make sure I don't get stuck with the Edge of Oblivion double damage.

Charging at me, one of the skeletons grips a rusty mace in its bony grip... right up until my first ghoul simply grabs its skull and tears it from the body, tossing it aside with a grunt while the body collapses, the magic animating it failing.

Smirking to myself, I mentally give the order for my ghouls to jump into action, keeping the largest, the father, by my side just in case.

Ghouls are apparently better than skeletons... heh, this should be easy.

  
**\- Shortly After -**

Watching my second ghoul fall as its body rots, I quickly revise my earlier opinion.

The skeletons were easy, even when the stronger armoured variant showed up they were only a minor threat to my ghouls, especially with me using [Warping Mend Wound] to heal any wounds they took... it's basically all I was good for since the skeletons don't take damage from my necrotic spell, nor can they be cursed.

Right now I feel like I took Charmander back in Gen 1 all over again, and Brock is beating my underleveled ass. It's not that I'm weak or my spells aren't effective... but this is just a terrible match up for me.

My perks give me great strength when I am on the defensive, but weaken me when I have to go on the offensive... like right now.

Still, we were doing fine... the Ghouls have surprisingly good regeneration, and even when one major weakness in my current forces made itself clear, skeletal archers raining arrows down on us as we were left unable to return fire, we managed to pull through, simply by having two of the ghouls charge them wildly, uncaring of the arrows piercing them...

But then this shit happened.

**Ghost (Tier One Spirit Undead)**

Glaring at the hovering blue spirit, I acknowledge to myself that I'm out of options.

Fucking Kuro Dantalion never studied the normal Devil magic, which means I don't have that available... and Ghosts are immune to physical and necrotic damage. Nothing I have on hand can even hurt these bastards.

Their own necrotic magic isn't that strong, but it counters my healing and my ghoul's regeneration, so it is simply a case of death by a thousand paper cuts.

One of my ghouls has fallen already, and I can't do anything to bring it back... and the ghosts aren't eager to let me run either.

So with a growl of annoyance, I give the order for another ghoul to throw itself at the spirits, it can't do anything to them... but it can delay them as I retreat, my last ghoul following behind.

This sucks.

As I flee, a ghostly ball of energy flies towards me, clipping my arm before I can make it out of the dungeon, but the sting of pain is nothing I can't deal with.

**-50 HP**

**-1 HP per second**

**HP regen stopped**

Deciding that pride is less important than survival, I have my ghoul simply pick me up in a princess carry, its far greater speed allowing us to blow through the rooms we have already cleared, bones crushed to dust beneath his heavy feet.

The rot setting into my arm, eating away at my flesh is... unpleasant to say the least, but we get out of the dungeon quickly enough.

**< Congratulations on your first victory, Master >**

Heh, I'm not feeling victorious right about now, Isis.

**< Why not? You fought, rooms of undead were cleared, and you survived with most of your HP. I'd say that was a victory, Master! Any battle you walk away from is one you won! >**

I... heh, I guess you're right. It's not like I can't replace the two ghouls I lost... and we did tear a path through a horde of skeletons before I even got a scratch.

**Level Up!**

**Level Up!**

**Level Up!**

Mickey and Minnie reform at my feet, returning from when an armoured skeleton smashed them earlier, but Gadget is still safe in my pocket.

The moment the after battle report kicks in, my wound heals rapidly as I smile to myself. Sure, I didn't do anywhere near as well as I wanted... but the simple fact is that I was fighting at a disadvantage.

I need to find a different dungeon to practice at until I have more spells and abominations to deal with the undead. Ghosts and creatures immune to physical and necrotic are going to be my bane until I find a counter for them.

But that's fine.

You don't go to fight Misty with just a Fire Type, you go and catch a Pikachu and fuck her up. I'm a Gamer, working around the mechanics is just part of the Game.

**Kuro Dantalion, the Lord of House Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 4 (34%)**

**Alignment – Neutral Evil**

**Mentor – None**

**Apprentice – None**

**HP – 500 [100 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]**

**SP – 500 [100 regen per minute]**

**STR – 5 (x10) = 50**

**END – 5 (x10) = 50**

**DEX – 5 (x10) = 50**

**INT – 20 (x10) = 200**

**WIS – 20 (x10) = 200**

**CHA – 10 (x20) = 200**

**LCK – 10 (x15) = 150**

**Stat – 15**

Taking a moment to think, I put five points into INT, my most important stats as a spell-caster, and then ten into END. Mages tend to be glass cannons, and I'd rather have a nice healthy HP pool to keep me safe should the worst happen.

I don't plan on keeping this up, but I don't want to risk being flimsy. Too much can go wrong, and more HP is never a bad thing.

With this alone, I have tripled my HP, and that is absolutely major.

What would have been a terrible wound before is an inconvenience now, and I will just keep getting stronger.

Plus, I did get some loot from chests as I fought my way through the undead, so it isn't like this has been a complete loss. I levelled and got loot in exchange for three ghouls, and now I know to avoid going too deep into this dungeon.

**Iron Bar (Common Metal) x 3**

**Dark Iron Bar (Uncommon Metal) x 4**

**Corrupted Leather (Uncommon Leather) x 6**

**Jet (Common Gemstone) x 2**

**Dreadstone (Rare Gemstone) x 1**

**Potion of Healing (Common Potion) x 2**

It's not a bad haul for a single day's work, and while I'm not sure what to do with the metal and leather... the Gemstones can be used in Wardcrafting. I need gemstones to make my wardstones which are tied to any ward I want to actually last. The Jet stones wouldn't make good wardstones, but the Dreadstone definitely seems interesting... whatever a Dreadstone is. The ominously glowing purple gemstone is the size of my fist, and probably worth a small fortune, I guess I got lucky on my loot when this thing dropped, but my ward crafting knowledge is already telling me that it should be able to hold a decently powerful set of wards with the right runes carved into it. The Jet stones could hold a single, fairly weak ward, but I might use them anyway for practice before I risk ruining the rare stone.

The better the gem, the harder it will be to turn it into a wardstone without utterly failing and ruining it in the process.

Sending my ghoul back to the lair, I head back to the castle with a sigh. I need to find a new grinding spot if I really want to start levelling.

Opening up the map again, I scratch my chin in mild annoyance at the sight of exactly zero other dungeons in the surrounding areas... there are some in the more populated areas in the Underworld, but I don't really want to go out there yet.

However... to the great surprise of no-one, there are several in Kuoh. Of course there are, this is DxD. Why wouldn't they be centred around plot-important areas?

...I can deal with the first few rooms of the dungeon easily, and I can farm them. Isis told me they respawn at midnight, so I can do them again tomorrow... and I have a few days before my new home in Kuoh is prepared apparently.

But the dungeons chests loot gets worse after the first spawn, so I can't expect as good drops every time I do this.

I have two ways to get stronger... first, I need to study those grimoires like my life depends on it, cause it kinda does... and secondly, I need to clear as much of the dungeon I can every day.

It's not the best exp, but I'll take all I can get at the moment.

But first... I need more ghouls.

**\- The Next Day -**

Fleshcrafting is an art that requires three things, Magic, Materials... and Imagination.

Not like Devil Magic, that whole powered by imagination thing doesn't make sense, why can't I just imagine the power of destruction or any other unique magic if it is just imagination?

...yes, I tried.

But real imagination, to work out how to turn just a normal human into a living weapon.

**[Inflict Paralysis]**

**A spell that causes the victim's body to lose the ability to move, paralysing them. This can afflict a specific body part or the entire body.**

A new spell I learnt from studying the Fleshcrafting tome, the description doesn't quite do it justice. It fucks with the targets nervous system, allowing me to paralyse single limbs or entire bodies... but it has the same problem that Calcify has... if I tried it on someone stronger than me I'd be lucky to paralyse a finger before I ran out of mana.

Not that it doesn't have its uses...

Looking over the frozen body of the mother of the family, I hum to myself as I get to work. Paralysing my subject before I start working on them makes things easier than having them flail about, even chained to the table.

I do feel a bit bad about this, these people did nothing to me, but...

**Human Villager (Tier 1 Human)**

My game doesn't even give them names. I could ask their name, but as far as the game is concerned, she is just 'Human Villager'. She's a literal NPC.

I need ghouls if I want to succeed in the dungeons, and I need to succeed in the dungeons if I am ever going to survive in this world. My survival takes priority over the lives of people who aren't even important enough to get names.

Which is why I need to get to work.

See, I've been studying hard over the past day, admittedly while laid in bed and being supplied with snacks and drinks by my slave girls, but I have delved deep into the Fleshcrafting Grimoire...

**[Natural Weapon]**

**A spell that causes the target to grow spines, claws, or any other form of lethal feature from their body. These weapons can be composed of anything from the body and may even cause venom sacs and fangs. Poisonous sweat, blood or spit is another example of something that could be created.**

This spell isn't as flawless as it sounds... because I am limited by my own skill in Fleshcrafting. It's annoying, but until I get to the higher levels of Fleshcrafting, I can't just turn regular humans into true killing machines. Not Yet.

  
I'm limited by my materials, and by my skill... but I can work around it.

**Fleshcrafting Upgrade Quest**

**Create 100 Abominations [4/100]**

**Cast 1000 Fleshcrafting Tree Spells [28/1000]**

**Learn 5 Fleshcrafting Tree Spells [5/5]**

I have quests for every single skill I have, from Gaming to Mummification, but this is the one I want to finished first.

Going to one of the small cages I have in the corner of the room, I cast paralysis again and open it up, gently picking up the limp creature inside it and carrying it over to the table.

It's surprisingly easy to get exotic animals if you have money.

Eastern Green Mamba's are one of the most dangerous mundane snakes in the human world. It also turns out that rich humans are dumb and like having dangerous pets.

It should have taken me longer than a day to get my hands on a bunch of venomous snakes, but it really didn't... humans are easily convinced with money, and my family has plenty.

You'd also think that smugglers would hesitate to be paid in literal solid gold, but they weren't. I didn't even need to pull any devil charisma bullshit to get them to take their payment in gold, even if I overpaid them a quite bit for the rush order.

I should also be surprised at the fact that my father knew how to get in touch with human smugglers, but Aria was able to direct me to his dealings with them. On the other hand, it's not that surprising since we have been hiding in this castle for a long time... and some things we can't supply ourselves. He had dealings with them to get rarer and occasionally illegal things.

...having a literal smuggler offer his condolences over my father's death, while also carefully checking to see if my family would still be employing his services was interesting. He was a nice guy for a criminal and was very helpful about putting me in contact with the guy I bought my snakes from, so I agreed.

It's not like I don't have the gold, my family is very wealthy, certainly compared to human standards, and I can certainly find a use for a smuggler. It's better to have him in my pocket and not need him and all that.

Annoyingly, while there are magical snakes... the Satans put down some new laws for the buying and selling of magical animals a decade or so ago. Long story short, someone bought a Manticore, and it ate him, ate his family then went on a rampage through the Underworld before it was put down by a competent devil.

  
So it's not easy to get my hands on any magical creatures, at least without drawing attention or calling in favours I don't want to owe later. Serafall could probably have a giant magical snake here tomorrow... and then I'd owe her.

  
So I'll work with what I can get my hands on.

Laying the snake down on the naked body of the woman, I get to work.

I was foolish before... just because I was focused on the fact that the women wouldn't be as strong as my normal ghouls, since they aren't as strong as their father or brothers...

But that was me being stupid, all I need to do is change them far more carefully than I did their male counterparts.

Fleshcrafting is an art, and I need to do more than just splash paint onto the canvas.

Getting to work, I smile as the two bodies, one snake and one human, slowly start to become one, the snake literally sinking into the stomach of my test subject.

  
Humans are fairly boring, though they make a very good baseline to work from... but for the more interesting parts I need more materials, so this is the test... what can I do when I take another creature and use them both in my Fleshcrafting at the same time?

The hard part is the lower body, and I'll admit I make a few mistakes but not so many that I can't correct them as the two long legs slowly merge, green and black scales forming along them as they become far more... snakelike.

Curious... Green Mamba's are just bright green, but her scales have a darker green colouring, not to mention the black stripes... hmm, odd, but not really a problem.

As her tail finally forms, becoming so long that it just hangs off the large table I use for my experiments, I smile as scattered scales appear up her back, her pale white skin turning a very slight green. Her large breasts also change, rapidly shrinking till they are barely b-cup, which is again slightly strange but I suppose it is far more suitable for what I have in mind for her.

The black scales moving up her back keep going, along the back of her arms before they stop just above her elbow, leaving her lower arms and hands unchanged... before I decide to change that, focusing my power and giving her sharpen claw-like nails, not too long that they would be inconvenient but sharp enough to cut.

When I am better with this, I should be able to control every tiny change at will... but as a mere apprentice, my magic is just kinda doing whatever it wants, while I try and guide it as much as I can.

  
I'm sat in the back seat giving my magic directions, and hoping it doesn't drive us both off a cliff.

As the face starts to change, I have to admit... snakes have very cool eyes, far cooler than mere human eyes and as her boring brown eyes change to a slitted golden glare, I smile.

I have no idea how useful she will actually be, but I am learning a lot as I do this... and isn't that the important part?

Several smaller scales make their presence known along her forehead and at the side of her head moving towards her eyes, and her ears grow almost... elven, but after a moment the changes stop, the green mist my magic makes fading away as she stares up at me with the slavish obedience my ghouls do.

**Naga (Tier One Abomination)**

Removing my paralysis, she... slithers off the table, rising to her full height in front of me as she towers over me. Her upper body is smaller than my own, but her tail is very, very long... even as she curls it up beneath her and rests on it she is easily a foot taller than me, staring at me with golden eyes.

Reaching forwards, I place one of my fingers beneath her upper lip and push it up, smiling at the dangerous fangs on display, a forked tongue flickering out and licking my finger briefly before it goes back into her mouth.

That was... actually exhausting. Creating a more complicated ghoul drains a lot more MP, and while I have enough to manage it, that doesn't mean it was easy. I'll have to take a break before I do the same to her two daughters,

Then I need to get more male subjects so I can make more common ghouls as their strength and endurance is very useful in battle. I want at least three before I head back into the dungeon, preferably more.

...I have the best bed in the world, and I don't even have time to sleep in it.

I can't wait to be a high enough level that I can relax.

**\- ??? -**

Congo was a ruthless country, and war had troubled them for as long as he could remember, he had seen terrors that would break weaker men... he had survived despite the dangers and battles... but this was something else entirely.

As he ran through the jungle, he glanced back into the trees, seeing nothing but leaves but knowing they were there...

Holding his pistol in one hand, he fired blindly into the trees, swearing to himself as he heard a hissing laugh in response.

He had been with a squad of six men when they set off from the camp he was rushing desperately towards, having found their jeep upside down, its engine torn to pieces.

They didn't even notice when the first man vanished, having fallen behind too far, but they definitely noticed when something incredibly long lashed out, wrapping around their leader's leg and dragging him into the thick bushes.

As they fled, they had been easily picked off, one after the other until only he remained... and as he spotted the camp appearing through the trees, he started shouting, begging for help.

It was only after he reached the camp he realised... there was no-one on watch, not a single man was watching the road, nor was anyone moving around the usually bustling camp...

Dashing into the camp, he reloaded his pistol, his rifle lost after something had been tossed from the bushes, smacking into his hand, and he had been too afraid to stop to pick it up as it clattered to the ground.

Looking around frantically, he never even saw the attack coming, an unnaturally long tongue lashing out from one of the tents, its strangely sharp forked end scratching his skin as he froze in place.

Falling to the ground, he tried to move his head to the sound of something moving across the ground, his body refusing to obey him until she came into view, her tail nudging him onto his back easily.

From his position, paralysed on the ground, he could only pray for the first time in his life as a pair of hungry golden eyes stared down at him.

**\- Kuro -**

“Well done, girls. You can have those two.” I say calmly as I make the portal, sending a rebels camp full of soldiers and captives back to my base, each one first paralysed by my nagas poison, then calcified while they couldn't respond.

I am going to keep changing where I get my materials from, I don't want to set a pattern anyone can follow, but you can always count on Africa to have a war or two.

The Middle East and parts of South America should work as well, but I'll save them for later. I only have so much room in my lair, and I'm already pushing it.

I didn't really mean to grab so many, but my naga are completely at home in the jungle, and capturing a single camp wasn't even difficult.

They were prepared for an attack, but not from fucking Nagas, and their poison spit is incredibly effective at paralysing the lookouts.

My new smuggler friend didn't even flinch when I asked him to find me a paralytic venom, and some gold exchanging later I had a new venom I could imbue into my Nagas.

  
I've found something wonderful from my experiments... if I use Fleshcrafting to merge some venom samples with my nagas, they can produce that venom in their venom sacks, plus some alterations to their mouth and they can spit from an incredible difference.

I have had them practising their aim, but it seems natural to them. It's not the perfect ranged attack (because poison does nothing to undead) but it is _a_ ranged attack, and that works for me for now.

This camp was fairly small, which was why I picked it as a target, and by the end I gathered thirty-two...

Glancing over at my feasting Nagas, I correct myself.

Thirty adult males, seven adult females, four young males, and three young females, all statues until I am ready to make them into something special.

It'll keep me going for now.

My nagas will be my stealth and ranged units for now, because I have a plan. It might now be a good plan, but it is a plan.

Nagas are incredibly fast, both on the ground and in the water, I checked, and they are also insanely dexterous with incredible reaction times, able to dodge most slower attacks with ease. Regular skeletons and zombies can't even hit them before they are constricted in the nagas long tail and simply crushed.

For now, I've armed them with crappy iron daggers and wooden bows we took from the skeletal archers, and I've given my ghoul a warhammer we took of an armoured skeleton. The naga are decent with bows, not amazing but I don't need them to be crack-shots when they can slither up to a vantage point and rain arrows down on my enemies.

I can't give them armour yet because nothing we loot can actually fit them, so my ghoul just wears a large pair of tattered trousers while my naga don't actually wear anything yet.

Is it because I enjoy having their naked bodies on display? Possibly.

Just because they have fairly small breasts doesn't mean they aren't nice, and they have nice asses as well... surprisingly not covered in scales. It's actually a bit of a problem with the whole... One is the loneliest number drawback, plus my sin of lust building up makes it a little hard to focus sometimes...

But work first, then I can play.

Five ghouls and five naga should be enough to slaughter everything except the ghosts, and then I'll start making preparations for Kuoh and its dungeons.

Still... I have a plan to make things easier...

“Hey, Isis... can you tell me the best way to get the Blacksmithing Proficiency?”

**\- Aria -**

Some slaves were content to remain as slaves, or even too afraid of their masters to try and rise above their stations. Helia was a perfect example of that, terrified of the deceased Lady Dantalion's easily triggered wrath, she threw herself into serving the Dantalion family as well as she could.

If a Dantalion wanted her to do something, no matter what it was, she would do it immediately like the well-trained pet she was.

The two brutes at the farm were very much the same, they kept their head down and worked the farm, day in day out, never so much as taking a break out of a mixture of fear and loyalty.

It wasn't that she didn't get it, what else could they do? Run? There was nothing but snow and ice for hundreds of miles around. But they were... unambitious.

She started in the same place Helia did... they were the exact same age, they had studied and trained together. But then Helia became content to just cook and clean forever, and she wanted more out of her life.

So she got permission from the former Lord Dantalion, Iaxes Dantalion, to read in her spare time, and practically devoured the library in her quest for self-improvement. She got so good at it that she found herself as Iaxes's personal assistant, helping him deal with his reports and numbers.

Then she had made a stupid mistake.

She tried to seduce Lord Dantalion, she had started slow offering massages (after studying them in private), and he had responded well after long days of work, either on the wards or simple paperwork. She'd slowly changed her outfits to more revealing ones, even taking up sewing just so she could alter her outfits to be a little bit tighter or show a little more skin...

She picked everything out perfectly, Lady Dantalion had been on a trip to check on the Dantalion interests in the human world, Iaxes had just finished his work after a stressful day, she'd even managed to convince him to enjoy a rare drink... then she'd tried to offer him some... additional stress relief and got shut down hard.

Devils having mistresses wasn't unusual, Iaxes's father had seven, and that had been her basis on the entire plan. Most of his mistresses had been his favourite slaves... but she misjudged Iaxes and how seriously he took his own code of honour.

Immediately she had lost her position as his assistant, and only through some quick talking (blaming her actions on the teachings of her mentor, an old woman who had long since passed away), did she manage to avoid any real punishment.

He had agreed not to tell Lady Nyra, likely saving her life from the Lady Dantalion's wrath, but he had also put a lot of distance between them. It had taken her another year to rise up to another position, that of the Head Slave, which she did by proving her predecessors incompetent to Lady Dantalion and then proving her own intelligence and competence in the period where Lady Nyra was looking for a replacement.

Better yet, Kuro's nanny had died when Kuro's strange magic first awoken, turned to a rotting corpse in seconds... and she positioned herself to help look after the then six-year old Heir.

Getting a good relationship with the next Lord was important, even if she may very well be dead by the time Kuro became Lord Dantalion... and she made sure to tend to the lazy heirs every need.

Kuro was as different from his father as Iaxes was to his own father. Where Iaxes was strict, Kuro was laid-back, lectures about honour and nobility were met with lazy eye-rolls by a teen who really just wanted to go back to bed.

So she made sure to look as good as possible in Kuro's eyes, indulging his laziness as much as possible without getting into trouble with his parents for making him slack on his training.

Fortunately... Kuro was also a genius when he cared enough to try and do something, he did it. If he wanted to learn something, he would.

He got one of the 'games consoles' Ajuka designed based on something from the human world, and within a week he was making other devils cry over the Devilnet. His cackling as people sent him angry messages was something she remembered fondly to this day.

His mother tried to get him to learn chess, claiming it was a more 'noble' game, and he beat her so badly a month later she never asked him to play again.

Then Kuro reached puberty, and she immediately realised something... her old plan could still work. She still had a way out of slavery and into the lavish life of a Lord's mistress.

She had to be more subtle with Iaxes and Nyra watching, but teasing the pubescent Devil wasn't exactly hard, Devils were often lustful at the best of times, add in puberty, and she simply had to bend over slightly at the right time and place, and she had his undivided attention.

But then Iaxes had taken Kuro aside and given him a long lecture on why slaves were beneath noble devils, and Kuro started looking away, and her plans were ruined again...

Then Lord and Lady Dantalion, along with a lot of the house slaves, all got killed.

Which meant her plans were back on for a third and hopefully final time, but first she had questions she needed to find the answer too...

Not least of which was... why did she just see Kuro lead a group of snake woman and strange deformed men into the tombs?

As a chirping got her attention, she sighed and placed some more berries in Nyx's bowl.

First things first, keep her lords equally lazy and far more arrogant familiar happy so it wouldn't try setting her hair on fire again.

**\- Sona -**

“Sona, I take it you've already been told?" Rias asked immediately as she arrived, even as Sona rolled her eyes, seeing her friend lounging in her sear, utterly naked.

She had long since grown used to her friend's utter lack of shame when it came to her own body.

“Of course, Lord Lucifer has already informed you?” Sona asked, thinking back to her conversation with her sister moments before.

“Brother called me, took ages to work out what he was talking about since he kept apologising, but I got the gist of it... we have a new king joining us in Kuoh? I was hoping you could give me more details on them, you know how my brother is." Rias deadpanned.

“Of course, Kuro Dantalion is the new Lord of the Dantalion House, after his father's recent assassination. The Dantalion family left the Pillars centuries ago, and my sister is negotiating with him to try and get them to rejoin. She was negotiating with his father before the assassination. The Dantalion family are renown for their Wardcrafting, and the Castle Dantalion held off an invasion by an entire battalion of Angels during the Great War, the wards have only gotten better over time if rumours are true.” Sona listed off.

It was no surprise her sister was trying so hard to get the Lord Dantalion back on the Pillars side, that kind of power had the potential to be a game-changer if the war broke out again... there used to be Dantalion wards in key locations all over the Underworld during the Great War, something that saved countless Devil lives and gave them an advantage over the other factions... but when the Dantalion's retreated to their castle at the start of the civil war, they collapsed every other Dantalion Ward, an act of spite against the two sides trying to force them to join in.

Then they simply didn't leave their castle for centuries, ignoring every attempt to get them to join either side of the civil war, or rejoin the pillars... until now.

So it was no real surprise her sister had been uncharacteristically stern with her, this was a chance to both increase the number of Pureblood Devil families and to make sure the Devils had another edge if the worst should happen and the war heated up again.

“Kuro himself is an introvert from what little we know of him, somewhat older than us, allegedly a genius though my sister mentioned being surprised at how weak his magic felt, but that could be something to do with his family magic and might not be reliable. He's also rumoured to have a strange, unique magic that both he and his father were trying to find information on a few years ago since they didn't know how to train him to use it... what that magic is I couldn't tell you, nor could I say if he ever learnt to use it." Sona finished watching Rias carefully, Rias was many things... loving to her family, her Peerage and her friends, generous and kind to complete strangers... and utterly manipulative when she felt she had to be.

“Hmm, a surprisingly large amount of information on a man who rarely leaves his castle.” Rias complimented, making her smirk.

If there was one thing she excelled at, it was information gathering. She'd been looking into the Dantalion's ever since Serafall started negotiations with Kuro's father and that was months ago.

“Have you been given the same warning to 'play nice' with the new Lord?” Sona asked making Rias giggle slightly, her breasts bouncing as Sona's smile became tight.

Just a few years... she was just a late bloomer, that was all... her mother was gifted in that area, so was her sister... it was only a matter of time.

“Ufufu~”

“Oh shut up, Akeno.” Sona grumbled, ignoring her own queens giggling behind her. She'd disciple her later.

“Yes, I did... more or less. Brother spent half the time telling me to play nice only to then start apologising for telling me to play nice, but then tell me how serious it was that I had to make sure not to offend the new Lord... and then started apologising again." Rias said with a sigh.

...Why were all the Satans so weird?

Well, she was fairly certain she’d figured that out years ago, she was almost sure that most of the eccentricities she had seen in both Lord Lucifer and her own sister were part of an elaborate act, a goofy act to make their people forget what utter monsters they actually were.

Serafall could freeze the entire Underworld if she truly went all out, but when people looked at her they saw the sexy magical girl who did photoshoots and childish programs instead of the terrifying, powerful Devil with a kill count that had more digits than anyone wanted to think about… and Sirzechs? He was so much worse.

The act was necessary if Sirzechs wanted to walk among his fellow devils without having them flee in terror. He was the strongest in a group of utter monsters.

She'd seen the hints of the far smarter man in Sirzechs Lucifer, no matter how silly or over the top he acted around his precious little sister or son.

“My sister said the same, though more eloquently... which means you need to stop that right now.” Sona pointed out, watching Rias's eyes widen in shock. “Rias, I've known you since we were children... and I know you far too well for you to act innocent. These are orders from two Satans, you can't risk endangering the Dantalion's return for your own personal situation.” Sona warned, already knowing Rias wouldn't listen.

“It's easy for you to say... you don't have a marriage to Riser Phenex hanging over your head.” Rias countered, a mixture of a fierce scowl and a cute pout on her face. “The Phenex's are pushing for a closer wedding date, again... and Father just agreed without even asking me.”

“...How long?” Sona asked, giving her friend a pitying look.

“Three months, at best. I might be able to get out of this if I can beat him at a rating game, but...” Rias trailed off, not needing to finish.

Riser was an asshole, and half his Peerage was just there to be part of his Harem... but he had won every rating game he had tried to win, and only ever lost by surrendering after putting up a token effort. Riser was far smarter than people gave him credit for, and very powerful for a devil his age. His fire magic alone was formidable, even without taking into account his regeneration...

And that was without mentioning Yubelluna, the Bomb Queen with her immense explosive magic, and Ravel, who was almost as good with fire as her brother despite her young age...

Rias, with her four-person Peerage, didn't stand a chance... even if Gasper wasn't sealed away. Akeno and Koneko were powerful, but they were either too afraid or too ashamed of their heritage to reach their full potential, and Rias was too kind to force them to do so.

In truth she found it disdainful that Akeno was so full of hatred aimed at her father and herself that she'd rather let Rias be forced to marry Riser, putting Rias, herself and Koneko in the hands of a man with a reputation for being a pervert due to the patriarchal rules of the devils, then actually try and use her Light Magic which could give Rias an edge against Riser and his regeneration.

Not that she actually believed Riser would try and force himself on Rias or any of her Peerage. Riser was an arrogant ass, he wasn't suicidal. Raping the sister, or a peerage member of the sister of a Satan known for being a siscon was something even the dumbest Devil would think twice over, and Riser was anything but stupid.

Rias, however, treated Riser like he was the reincarnation of the original Lucifer himself, pure evil and completely degenerate. She could probably be told that Riser ate nothing but puppies and she'd believe it, her anger at the injustice of her situation blinded her and she refused to consider that she was wrong about him.

“I... just don't do anything to make him decide to run back to his castle, my sister might just marry you to Riser herself out of spite if you ruin this for her, she's been trying to get the Dantalion's to return for years.” Sona warned, making Rias smile again.

“Do you really think I'd do something that bad?” Rias asked, faux-insult in her tone.

Normally... no, she wouldn't, but desperation was a deadly thing.

**\- Bonus Scene – I'm going to need those nine lives... -**

“You called for me, Lady Ophis?” Kuroka said as she entered the room, hiding her fear as the empty eyes of the Infinite Dragon God locked onto her, the child-like head tilting slightly.

“New mission." Ophis said simply, not wasting any time.

...She was supposed to be working with Vali, but Ophis took priority on account of how terrifying she was. Vali could handle himself, he was a big boy.

“Of course, Nya~ What can I do for you?” Kuroka purred, keeping her normal act up. You couldn't show fear to a predator after all.

“Find the realm maker... see if it can make silence.” Ophis ordered before going quiet as she paused.

What the hell did that mean?

“...go do it?” Ophis added after an awkward moment of silence.

“Erm... Lady Ophis? I don't know what that means... Sorry, Nya~” Kuroka said after a moment, catching a moment of irritation on the emotionless face, her heart skipping a beat.

“A realm was made... in the Underworld. Go find it. See if it can make a realm of silence." Ophis ordered again, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

“Got it, Nya~ I'll get right on that...” Kuroka said quickly, smiling as Ophis nodded, letting her leave the room.

Somewhere in the Underworld? The massive Underworld? Where she was a highly wanted criminal? Sure, why not!

She'd happily search every inch of the Underworld...

...the alternative was telling Ophis that she didn't know how to do what she had been told to, and that was a far more dangerous task.

How the fuck was she supposed to find someone capable of making Realms? She didn't have any way of sensing that kind of magic. She wasn't even sure where she was supposed to start... but it was time to head back off to the Underworld.

**Authors Note: Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing upload schedule-wise, so while I'm still on hiatus I'm just gonna write what I want and worry about that when I feel like coming off hiatus. My original plan was to come back September but... well, work has been stressful, and until it calms the fuck down I think I'm gonna stay on my semi-hiatus and just write when I can/feel like it.**

**To clear something up, yes Kuro has a lot of disadvantages at the moment... but they are perks, and when Kuro is skilled enough to negate their debuffs they will be pure advantages, it's the long game for him.**

**Yes, he isn't that strong now. It's also chapter two, and he shouldn't be strong at chapter two unless something has gone very wrong. He will get stronger, in time.**

**Next Update: still on hiatus so idk**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** **  
  
**   
  



	3. Kuoh or/and Bust

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 03: Kuoh or/and Bust**

I... I have realised a slight flaw in the Pot of Greed.

I decided having more powerful healing potions would be useful before I went and did some more grinding, so I decided to use it...

Looking at the glass jar filled with a deep red liquid, I sigh as I dip a finger in and lick it.

**Fine Wine**

I was a bit thirsty at the time.

The Pot of Greed gives me what I want, not what I need or even what I think I want... I don't just say what I want, and then it makes it, and I wanted a drink more than I wanted a source of healing since I was thirsty and at full health.

I could have sworn the smiling face on the front of the jar grinned just a little wider as I poured it all out into a glass jar.

This wine better be fucking amazing.

Pouring some of it into a wine glass, I take a little sip before glaring at the glass in disgust...

It's fucking delicious.

...I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear the quiet cackling coming from the Jar.

**\- Later -**

Focusing with a deep frown, I carefully visualise the creation of a small ball of fire floating in the palm of my hand, watching as the barely apple-sized orb starts to flicker into life.

Pushing my palm forwards, I watch it fly towards its destination, a simple wooden target shaped like a person. As it collides with them, the target bursts into flames and is slowly reduced to ashes.

My family already had a section of the dungeons beneath the castle set aside for magical practice, and it has wards to ensure the protection of both the castle and the caster.

My firebolt only hit it on the shoulder, so I'll have to practice my aim as well... I was aiming for centre mass.

Devil magic really isn't that hard, despite the old Kuro's troubles with it... but I've quickly realised that it isn't nearly as simple as Rias made it sound... but then, Rias was trying to explain it to Issei and Issei is a fucking idiot.

Imagination is important, and it does power a lot of devil magic... but it has its limits. No matter how much power I have, I'll never be able to just think up the Power of Destruction.

Knowledge helps the visualisation process, having the power to actually do whatever you are trying to imagine is essential... but it has clear limits.

After all, if it didn't have limits then every devil would be throwing around light magic, the Bael power of destruction and they'd all have Phenex regeneration.

**Spell Created**

**Elemental Magic, Pyromancy Tree**

**[Fire Bolt]**

**A small ball of flame launched from the casters hand, causing fire damage to whatever it hits. Can cause lasting burn damage or ignite the target.[**

**Elemental Magic Proficiency]**

**The art of using magic to manipulate the elements and bend them to your will.**

**Trees Discovered – Pyromancy (Unknown)**

Not even a novice, which I'm fairly certain is the lowest rank of proficiency. No upgrade quest either to help me get to novice level.

I'm still learning the ropes of this game, its mechanics are still a bit of a mystery to me... but if there's one thing I'm good at, it's games.

...it took me two days to work out how to make this spell, two days I had to skip grinding the first floors for more materials and experience.

And to be honest?

It's trash.

It's a really crappy spell.

The mp consumption is ridiculous for what it does, and I'm fairly certain that is tied to proficiency. I don't have the Pyromancy proficiency yet, so Pyromancy is difficult for me, I can't confirm that theory until I have increased one of my proficiencies, but for now, that's my guess.

I can use approximately eight firebolts if I slow them down and pace myself for the MP regen to kick in, seven if I need to spam them back to back... but its damage is trash.

It's a weapon that can work against ghosts, however, so I'll take it.

It isn't good enough that I'd try clearing the higher floors, but I've noticed that the monsters on each floor seem to change slightly every time I go in, and I don't trust it not to add a ghost or two to the earlier floors to screw me over.

I needed a weapon to actually counter them if I plan on using this dungeon until I head to Kuoh.

Isis has told me that to learn the Blacksmithing skill, I either need to track down manuals for it or a mentor to teach me the basics, so that has been put on hold for now.

I was hoping to craft better gear than the trash I've been picking off the undead, since if Skyrim taught me anything it is that you need blacksmithing to craft and improve the best gear in the game, but I have no leads on a manual nor do I know where I could get a mentor who I could trust.

Ugh, I have been doing way too much work lately... fucking DxD. All I want to do is sleep and relax, instead, I've spent my every waking moment, either grinding or studying to try and work out this irritating magic system.

Or trying to improve my nagas and ghouls, which has had decent success. Adding chameleon genes to the nagas gave them the ability to change their skin colour to better suit their surroundings, improving their stealth capabilities, and adding rhinoceros... which I definitely didn't poach, helped give my ghouls tougher skin.

But no horn, strangely enough.

I did learn something very interesting, however... by using the same animal repeatedly, I learnt a new passive skill from the process.

**[Memories of Flesh]**

**Through the repeated experimentation with the flesh of different creatures, you have memorised the feeling of their flesh... and have taught your magic to mimic this feeling allowing you to replicate the effect without requiring the creature itself.**

**Flesh Mimicked – Rhinoceros (Thicker Skin, Tougher Bones), Chameleon (Colour Changing Skin)**

...It's nice to know I'm not going to have to drive the Rhino into extinction just to get tougher ghouls.

Sighing to myself, I stretch slightly. I have time to do the lower floors of the dungeon again tonight... back to the grind.

...I loathe the early game so very much.

As I groan, Gadget pops out of my pocket, squeaking at me encouragingly. Nyx doesn't even look up from her self-grooming before she goes back to sleep.

**\- Later -**

Collapsing onto my bed, I groan into my pillow.

We cleared the lower floors easily, but it was slow and time-consuming, fighting increasingly large hordes of skeletons and zombies.

Good news first, firebolt can take a weaker undead out in one or two hits, my ghouls improved endurance means that a lot of attacks don't even really phase them. I can spend less time healing, my Naga are becoming masters of ambushing and a lot of the time the undead don't even notice them until it is already too late, my hp is high enough that I don't need to worry so much about a single arrow killing me off any more.

Bad news, I've out levelled the first floors, and my experience gain has slowed to a crawl, ghosts can be killed by my firebolt, but they come in such large numbers that I can't take them all out, and they'll still beat me through pure numbers as I'm the only one in my party able to hit them and I'm tired as fuck.

All I have done for almost two weeks is study, grind, study some more, then wake up and do it all again.

I barely gained a single level this time, the lower floors of the dungeon are just not worth my time any more.

**Kuro Dantalion, the Lord of House Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 13 (31%)**

**HP – 1500 [300 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 3500 [400 regen per minute]**

**SP – 1500 [300 regen per minute]**

**STR – 10 (x10) = 100**

**END – 15 (x10) = 150**

**DEX – 10 (x10) = 100**

**INT – 35 (x10) = 350**

**WIS – 20 (x10) = 200**

**CHA – 25 (x20) = 500**

**LCK – 20 (x15) = 300**

**Stats – 0**

I have no idea if these stats are even good, I need something to compare myself to, and the only other devil I have ever met is the strongest woman in the underworld, so she's not exactly a good choice.

...Which means Rias and Sona, plus their peerages, are my best bets to judge how strong I need to be.

Rias could be level twenty or level eighty, and I have no way of working it out until I see her.

I put so many points into Charisma simply because it has the best multiplier, but I need to remember... every devil is going to have the same multipliers as me. Hell, everyone who matters will have their own multipliers and when everyone has good bonuses, nobody does.

Hearing a knock on the door, I roll over with a sigh and sit up.

"Come in, Aria." I say after a moment, I don't need super senses to know who is on the other side, Helia works on a schedule, and she cleaned my room earlier, and the two farmers have never visited my room even once, why would they?

They deliver the food at the kitchens, so even if I order something it'd be Helia or Aria bringing it up to me... and Helia only comes here when called, on schedule or when I've sent for something.

Process of elimination.

As Aria enters, her eyes immediately run over me, locking onto my side where a skeleton warrior slashed me earlier, a large gash in my shirt with bloodstains around it. I healed it immediately after my first and favourite ghoul turned the skeleton into a pile of dust.

The pain was unpleasant, but the hp damage was trivial and healed seconds later.

“Lord Kuro... do you have a moment?” Aria asks as she walks closer, stopping a few feet away from me.

“This is one of the female trick questions where I have to listen to you no matter what I answer, isn't it?” I drawl as I sit up. “Sure, what is it?” I ask after a moment, even if I could send her away with a single word.

Aria basically raised old Kuro from my memories, the very least I can do is listen to her even if she's my slave.

“I...” Aria starts, before pausing to gather her thoughts. “I realise it isn't my place to question you, as you are the Lord of the house and I am simply your slave, but I am worried for you... you've spent every waking moment working recently, and it isn't like you. When you aren't reading or practising your magic, you are heading into the crypts with your horde of... creatures, and you don't return until nightfall.” Aria says quickly, hesitance mixed with determination in her tone. “You've even skipped meals and naps, and you have been sleeping far less... it is my duty to ensure all your needs are met, but I cannot do that alone, I can have the greatest banquet prepared for you, but it does nothing if you simply take an apple and run off to study more.”

She's never questioned me before, she doesn't know how I'll react... which is why she fidgets slightly as I stare at her, considering my response.

Of course, she saw my horde, I haven't exactly been subtle but then... why would I? It is my castle, why would I sneak around like a thief? Still, she knows enough not to bother questioning me over my magic. When she has seen me being followed around by three skeletal rats for years, I suppose it is easy to ignore the growing horde.

"I can't afford to take it so easily any more, this world is full of monsters, and I can't risk being weak now that I am the head of the family." I say after a moment, leaning back with a sigh. "The world is changing, and the big players aren't going to let me sit behind the wards forever, father put us in the spotlight by opening negotiations with the Satans, and it is too late to try and stick our heads back in the sand." I admit, even if I got Serafall to leave me alone, I'd just be delaying the inevitable. War might be approaching, and I'd rather have allies and power when it arrives than by cowering in my castle. "I appreciate the concern, but time is not on my side."

I trust the Dantalion castle wards against most things... but this world has too many ridiculous monsters.

Fucking DxD.

"You are right, of course but you have been working yourself too hard, I've never seen you like this before, you are overworking yourself... and it shows." Aria says calmly, still slightly nervous. "You've been frowning and sighing far more, and you barely have an appetite. You are the last Dantalion, you need to take better care of yourself." she says, moving closer.

I haven't been... that bad?

Okay fine, I skipped a few meals to practice the devil magic, and I have been spending quite a lot of time in the dungeon. I'm a devil of sloth damn it, I shouldn't get lectured overworking too hard...

But then, my envy and greed are pushing me to get strong enough to steal the sacred gears in Kuoh, or at least the people with them.

  
I have been feeling stressed, but I feel like that can be explained by the fact that I'm in fucking DxD, a death world disguised as a softcore hentai disguised as a shounen anime.

“I... will take your words under advisement, but I can't afford to not be ready when it is time for me to go to Kuoh.” I admit, shrugging.

“And I am not suggesting that you stop working, simply that you take better care of yourself.” Aria suggests, smiling slightly as she stops in front of me. “How can you expect to be at your best when you are half-asleep and skipping meals?”

...I sleep almost nine hours a day, just how lazy was my old self that she thinks I'm skipping sleep like this? Also, it's not like I haven't been eating, I just grabbed something light for breakfast and supper instead of having the larger meals, only having full meals at dinner and lunch.

“Very well, if it will make you feel better.” I agree with a shrug. Aria is _my_ mother in all but name, and while Nyra Dantalion was the one to actually give birth to me, she wasn't exactly motherly.

**+10 Affection with Aria for listening to her concerns [55/100]**

**[The Slave Master] – Aria [50]**

**You have a natural way with the slaves under you, building their loyalty and causing all but the harshest treated slave to grow fond of the collar around their neck. You slaves will very rarely attempt to flee you or disobey your orders unless they are treated incredibly harshly or ordered to do things they utterly despise.**

What... is that?

**< Part of the Reputation System, Master! >**

**< When a reputation or affection score reaches one of the milestones, fifty and one hundred, you gain a reward based on the person you hit the milestone with. Perks, Skills, Items, it changes based on the person. > **

I gain rewards just by getting people to like me?

  
Oh dammit... I'm going to have to become the Harem King just for all the rewards.

**< Well, that and the fun that comes from having a Harem, Master >**

**< ** _**Cough, Cough, Sin of Lust, Cough, Cough >** _

Well, you have a point there. If I'm stuck in this world, I might as well enjoy the one good thing it has, hot women.

“Thank you for sparing some time to listen to me, my lord...” Aria says submissively, bowing deeply drawing my eyes to the deep cleavage her revealing dress leaves on display.

On that note... maybe I should try and see how well my new perk works. Purely for scientific purposes of course.

"Aria, I'm going to call it a night, but I require a bath first, Helia will be doing her rounds now, so I want you to join me." I say calmly, watching her smile remain unchanged as I rise, shrugging off my shirt easily.

**\- Aria -**

Watching Kuro, the boy she had watched over since he was barely a child, toss his shirt away with a lazy smile, she let her eyes move to his surprisingly well-defined chest. It must be a Devil thing as Kuro certainly didn't work out.

It was strange, she had seen him naked many times over the years... but this time it was different, the slight strain against his trousers gave that away even if the slight hunger in his eyes didn't... this wasn't her lazy charge getting her to clean him, this was her new Lord deciding he wanted her... and realising there was no one to stop him any more.

Kuro had always been attracted to her, but then he was also a pervert... she wore revealing clothes knowing his eyes would be glued to her body, when he wasn't watching Helia move around in her tiny metal bikini or even his own mother.

Her plan required him to want her, which was why she never brought up the small wardstones she found in her bedroom and bathroom after his father taught Kuro how to make the surveillance wards, if Kuro wanted to spy on her in her private rooms then that was just helping her out in the long run.

Undoing his belt, he let his trousers drop, stepping out of them in just his boxers. The thin silk undergarments struggling to restrain the growing bulge as Kuro walked towards his en suite, causing her to quickly follow behind.

Moving ahead of him, she turned the taps for the massive bath, more of a small pool really, watching as it promptly filled up. Magic had its advantages, and the Dantalion's had spent hundreds of years improving everything they could get their hands on in their castle.

Turning back to her Lord, her master and owner to be exact, she waited until he was right in front of her and reached up, gently and slowly lowering her dress as she exposed inch after inch of her perfect pale skin.

One would think that slaves wouldn't have access to things like skin-cream, but they'd be wrong, Kuro's grandfather liked his slaves to look beautiful, and the rules he put into place were never removed.

Letting the dress fall, she paused for a moment as the straps fell to her waist, a pair of small, but incredibly perky breasts hanging freely as Kuro's eyes moved down to them, a smirk growing on his face.

Pausing for a moment, she carefully pushed her chest out, her breasts bouncing slightly as she did, before she moved her hands down to her waist and gripped her dress again, giving it the little push it needed to get past her ass and finally fall to the floor so she could step out of it, wearing nothing but a small green thong.

She always dressed sexily in case of wardrobe malfunctions, she still had all her sexy clothes from her old plan to seduce Kuro's father after all, and there was no need to let them go to waste.

Turning around, she bent over at the waist, her ass barely hidden by the thin green string sticking out towards him as she reached back and hooked her fingers under it, ever so slowly pulling them down.

As the thong was pulled passed her slit, she heard a hum of appreciation as she exposed herself to the boy... the man she had all but raised.

Slowly turning back around, she took a step forwards, her hardening nipples brushing against his bare chest as she slowly lowered herself down to her knees, staring up at him as she reached forwards and grasped his boxers, waiting just a moment for confirmation before she pulled them down.

She thought they were doing a bad job of restraining his slowly hardening shaft... but as it flopped forwards, slapping against her forehead, her eyes widened in shock... it had definitely done a good job of holding this beast down.

Part of her wondered what magic Kuro used to make himself bigger than he used to be, likely the same magic that gave him the chiselled six-pack and the clear muscle definition that didn't have a few weeks ago. The rest of her wrote it off as Devil nonsense.

If this was simply a case of her joining him to clean him like the good little slave girl she was, she should get up straight away and move to the already filled pool, but then this wasn't about that... and they both knew it.

Remaining on her knees instead, she nuzzled the hard cock slightly with her cheek as he reached down and stroked her long hair slightly, smirking his usual lazy smirk.

Standing up, she deliberately brushed her breasts against his manhood with a slight smirk of her own.

"Shall we, my lord?" Aria asked as she turned around, her rear pressing against his rock hard shaft for a moment before she started moving, walking into the pool with an enticing sway to her hips.

“Father said I was too old to have the servants clean me... but then he isn't around any more.” Kuro drawled easily as he joined her.

"Mhmm... as the Lord of the house, the rules are whatever you decide they are. I read that your father changed the rules greatly when he took over, he would have no right to complain about you doing the same." Aria agreed calmly.

Kuro's grandfather, Lord Izan was a lascivious man, who picked dozens of woman to serve as his personal pleasure slaves, he also hated and looked down on almost every other race and got himself killed trying to capture Gabriel as his sex slave.

He actually managed to best Gabriel herself, but was slain by Michael himself, which marked the retreat of the Dantalion's from the great war.

Lord Iaxes's personal journals were simply sitting around in the library for anyone to read, which was how she knew so much. She had hoped to use them to help learn how to better seduce Iaxes, but the information was still useful.

Izan had not only been an incredibly powerful devil, perhaps not to the level of the current Satans but when he had time to prepare for a battle he was almost unbeatable, he also had a mindset very similar to the Old Satan Faction.

Iaxes hadn't mourned his father since, despite his immense power and skill, Izan was a tyrant even to his family, and Iaxes both feared and hated him.

Iaxes's hatred of the degeneracy so common in devils came from his hatred of his father, and it was why he had tried so hard to teach Kuro the importance of honour and fighting his devil nature...

Looking over her body with a lazy grin, Kuro took a seat at the other side of the pool, his body half-submerged in hot water, bubbles covering him.

“Well, Aria... come see to my needs.” Kuro drawled in amusement, his eyes lingering on her chest as she bowed, approaching him.

Fortunately for her, he appeared to have failed.

**\- Kuro -**

Leaning back in the warm water, I squeeze my right hand gently, enjoying the slight moan coming from Aria as I grope her firm ass, her breasts pushed against my side as she gently strokes my shaft.

Aria was right, I was overworking myself... I need some rest and relaxation if I want to be at my best, and this was exactly what I needed.

Aria is up to something, without the past Kuro's respect and affection for her I can tell that. I don't think it is anything bad for me... her obedience is at 100 after all, but she is certainly up to something.

She was too happy over being used for my pleasure, but it isn't lust on her part. 'Kuro' was a virgin, but I didn't die a virgin.

She's enjoying my touch, but there's more to this than that...

Hm, I will keep a close eye on her... a very, very close eye on her.

"That's it, my Lord... just relax and enjoy yourself. The rest of the underworld can wait a little longer." Aria whispers into my ear as she dances her surprisingly soft fingers along my length, placing kisses on my face, deliberately avoiding my lips.

  
I suppose she thinks kissing would be more intimate than a handjob for whatever reason.

Seeing no reason to edge myself, I just let go with a light grunt as Aria coos, my seed clouding the waters.

“Damn... I needed that.” I admit with a satisfied sigh as she smiles at me.

“As I have said, it is my duty to ensure _all_ your needs are met, My Lord... you simply need to call on Helia or me whenever you need any relief." Aria says calmly, stroking my chest gently.

“...I'll keep that in mind.”

**\- Next Day -**

“My Lord... a letter has arrived for you, from Lady Serafall.” Aria says promptly as she enters my office, drawing my attention away from the grimoire I was reading. Wardcrafting is complicated as fuck, and this grimoire was making my head spin anyway.

I have managed to make a couple of working wards so far, using a few of the Jet stones I got... I used five stones and destroyed three by accident, so I only managed to make two working ward stones.

I only managed to get a single extra Dreadstone, and if this is how hard it is to make a common wardstone, then I am not risking my rare gems until I am better at this shit.

“Got it, just leave it on the desk.” I order as I close my grimoire and put it back in my inventory. The good thing about Aria and Helia is that they know very little about magic, so they don't question anything they see and just explain it away as devil magic.

Picking the letter up, I skim through it before I groan to myself.

I'm not surprised she managed to get everything set up so quickly... but I would have liked a little more time to prepare. My home in Kuoh is ready, and she has arranged for a meeting between me, Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory.

Well, I wanted an idea of the levels of people, and this is a good opportunity to find out, especially if they bring their peerages along.

I have a list of things I need to work out, One... how strong is everyone in comparison to me? Two, have Issei and Saji (I'm like 60% sure that is his name) already been recruited? Three, if so, then where is Asia right now? Has she already met Issei? Fourth, where are the dungeons in Kuoh? Fifth, are Rias and Sona gonna be a problem?

I can probably work out most of those in this one meeting, and I'll be close enough to use the mini-map to find the dungeons as well.

"Thank you, Aria... and you Helia." I say with a small smile, even as I move my chair back and let Helia move from beneath my desk. Aria wasn't kidding about Helia being willing, and as she wipes at her mouth, she bows to me deeply and moves back to the corner of the room to await further orders.

She doesn't even mention the Naga in the other corner, my 'bodyguard'. I'm 99% sure I won't be attacked here, but let's not take any chances.

The nice thing about being a Devil Lord is that I can just say, this is my naga guard, and my slaves think nothing of it.

Somehow I don't think they will be so easy to explain to the other devils. At the end of the day, Fleshcrafting is my unique magic, and they can question me all they like, they aren't getting answers.

Three days, Sunday in human world terms, which makes sense since those two are playing student for some baffling reason. Rias is stuck in a marriage she doesn't want, and instead of acting like a devil, she is role-playing as a student in the human world.

Sure, it works for her in the source material, but that's because of shounen anime protag nonsense and the power of friendship.

Realistically, she wasted her time playing student and had no right to win, even Riser is supposed to have won a load of rating games basically by himself. He seems like an asshole, but he is an asshole who knows how to use his powers, and I have to assume he trained for his fire magic even if the regeneration is a lot more instinctual than my Wardcrafting.

That being said, my Wardcrafting is a lot more versatile than regeneration, and if I was good enough with my wards, I could almost certainly make a ward that gave regeneration to myself and my allies as long as we were under it.

Would it be as powerful as his own? Probably not until I get really, really good with them, but it is still something I can do.

Which makes my wards better than his regeneration, since I could also make a ward to imprison him and just negate his regeneration.

  
After all, what use is regeneration if you never actually take damage? Some form of stasis ward would leave him trapped and helpless without triggering his automatic bullshit regeneration power.

It's not like I'm expecting to have to fight him, I just like to have a plan for if I do.

**\- Sunday -**

Power levelling is both hard and costly when you aren't sitting on your ass and playing with a controller.

I pushed myself deeper into the dungeon than ever before in the two days I had, and it cost me, not deeply but enough to convince me that heading to a more fertile land like Kuoh was a good idea.

Aside from me having to use all my own healing potions to save myself from pissed off ghosts, I lost all but one of my ghouls and two nagas before I retreated.

I remade them of course, and then made it, so I had ten ghouls and ten nagas but that cost more time and more resources, I'm completely out of adult women captives, and while I have quite a few adult men, they explode if I try to make a naga out of them.

No, I don't know why and yes it was a bit of a surprise when I found out.

All my losses got me was a bit more loot and two levels, barely. Ghosts give good exp, but they are a pain in the ass to kill since all my abominations can do is tank for me while I toss fire bolts at them. It's slow and ineffective, and eventually, I'm stuck waiting for my mp regen while ghosts attack me, and my ghouls take the hits.

But that means I can't heal them without losing more mp, which means I can't attack, which means we take more and more damage. I'm sure I can make a type of abomination that can deal damage to ghosts, I just need the right materials for it.

Unfortunately getting my hands on something capable of magic is a bit more complicated than getting venomous snakes or even a rhino.

Waiting in the conference room, Serafall had made for my new home, a rather extravagant eastern style manor. Apparently, it was already here before but the family who owned it, the Yamaoka family, fell into deep debt, and then things went... morbid. Double murder-suicide morbid.

The father went all psychotic after losing his job, murdered his wife and daughter with the family sword then killed himself.

Serafall just bought the place and had the crumbling manor restored to its full glory in less than a week (it was recent but the place was falling apart due to disrepair).

  
Do I care that I'm living in a murder/suicide house? No, I'm a fucking Necromancer. Besides, I can guarantee that more people died in my castle than here.

It's on the edge of the town, a nice walled-in estate with a decent amount of land around it, but not too much... which is nice since it means I have less to cover with wards. Before I came here, I used more Jet to make more common wardstones, and the first thing I did after arriving here was start warding.

Nothing special at the moment, just detection and surveillance wards. I've set up the system to control the surveillance wards in the basement, and I've got one of my nagas using it for now.

They don't speak as far as I can tell, just hiss sometimes, but they are surprisingly intelligent. Also, they don't really sleep from what I've been able to tell, so setting a couple of them inside the surveillance room and the rest in the grounds should help me make sure no-one I don't want gets into my home.

Even without me being on the surveillance myself, my detection wards alert me to the approaching people, four devils approaching up the main path, two more powerful than the other two. One feels... off, that is probably Akeno which would explain the hints of Holy I am getting from her.

My wards aren't good enough to give me more details than that yet, but they are still rather useful...

My home has no defences yet, but I had to use all but one of my wardstones to make the surveillance and detection wards cover all my estate and a little further (just a street or two in the direction of the town and some of the surrounding woodlands).

Having stronger wards that cover less area is actually nice, because I can essentially use extra wardstones as relays to expand the range. It's a bit complicated to tie them all together, but it means I can see everything in and around my lands from the safety of my basement.

  
I'll ward the security room separately later when I have more gems I can turn into wardstones.

Right now, I am not risking my Dreadstones with how many Jet stones I turned into useless shards, and these are just shitty common gems... I usually destroy one or two before I get a working wardstone.

A rare gem would be much harder to turn into a wardstone, and I only have two... which means I'm basically guaranteed to destroy them both for the moment. Obviously, that is not brilliant, so I need to wait until I am better at wardstone crafting before I try.

Or until I have more rare gems, I can risk which is the more likely scenario thanks to this...

**[Wardstone Crafting (Apprentice)]**

**You are an apprentice at the art of forging wardstones, by taking rock and carving runes onto it.**

**Upgrade Quest**

**Craft 25 Wardstones [05/25]**

**Craft a Wardstone from a Rare or better Gemstone [0/1]**

I need to make a rare wardstone, but I'm willing to bet my success rates are legitimately terrible at this point, so I need more rare gemstones.

Once this meeting is over, it's back to the grind.

But first... time to meet my peers.

**\- Bonus Scene – The Future** ~~**Abomination** ~~ **Harem King -**

Life was good for Issei Hyoudou.

Sure, he didn't have a girlfriend, and he was still a virgin... and he was one of the perverted trio that was already almost universally hated at Kuoh Academy... but things were looking up for him.

Heading towards his favourite spot, he snuck under the fence he and his friends had... adjusted a couple of weeks earlier with a smile, heading towards the hole to paradise.

After today, he wouldn't need to spy through a tiny hole to see his beloved Oppai any more, but he wanted one last look at the blessed paradise on the other side of the hole...

Which was why he felt his heart break as he finally arrived, only to find the sacred place defiled... heavy planks of wood nailed into the wall covering the hole that he used to get a sneak view of the Kendo clubs girls dressing room. He had timed this perfectly, Rin should be getting undressed right this moment... and it was taken from him at the last moment.

He didn't even need to guess which bastard had done this... Shirou Emiya, that god damn wannabe hero of justice. An unpaid janitor was more like it, of course, he'd fix up a hole if anyone told him about it.

Maybe he even got a hug from Murayama as a reward... that bastard.

Despite this setback, he didn't let his hopes fade as he snuck away... because while he wanted to see Rin's naked body, why just see Oppai when he'd be touching it soon?

You see, he had been given an offer by one of the girls who didn't hate him so much that she wouldn't speak to him at all.

Aoi might have fairly small Oppai, but he was a man of culture... any Oppai were still Oppai, and all Oppai were fantastic. Besides, she also had one of the greatest asses in Kuoh.

She offered him a date and even promised to let him touch her breasts as much as he wanted to if he did him a favour.

All he had to do was steal someone's clothes while they were in the shower, and while he didn't really want to touch guy clothes, it was worth it. He just threw Shinji's clothes in the river anyway and made sure he had nothing else he could change into.

Watching him flee the school holding his bag above his dick was pretty funny even if he had to see guy ass.

Heading to their meetup point, he quickly ate a mint to help with his breath and tried to straighten his hair.

Spotting Aoi waiting by the gate, he rushed over with a broad smile.

“I did it! So now I get a date, right?” Issei said quickly as she smiled at him, running a hand through her curly brown hair.

“Mhmm... here you go.” Aoi said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a fairly large wrinkly brown fruit. “One date, as promised.”

“Bwah- Waht?”

As his brain attempted to reboot from its blue screen, it started to occur to him that he might have been played for a fool.

“What's wrong? It's a very nice date, just like I promised.” Aoi said with a smile.

“But... but- you said I'd be able to touch your breasts? You said I could squeeze and even lick them if I wanted to.” Issei said in protest as her smile grew into a wicked smirk.

“Ooh... right. I almost forgot.” Aoi said nodding as she reached back into her bag as she pulled out a packaging.

Handing it over, he stared at the wrapped chicken breast dumbly even as he heard her giggle.

"By the way, Shinji is looking for you, something about a video of you sneaking around carrying a load of clothes?" Aoi mentioned as she walked away to join her friends, bursting into laughter as she did. Whether it was the way she tricked him or the fact that he was crying slightly, she found so funny he didn't know...

This... this wasn't fair.

Hearing Shinji shout his name, he tossed the chicken aside and fled the school as fast as he could.

Today had been terrible, he was played for a fool, the hole of paradise had been blocked, and the girls would be on guard for any attempts to make another one, and he didn't even get his promised Oppai...

There was no way things could get worse.

In his haste to get away from the scene of the crime, he failed to notice the slight shimmer as he ran through the park, a pair of silted yellow eyes following him.

The Naga hissed to herself, slithering away unseen. She was just on scouting duties, after all, no need to attack the target just yet.

**\- Bonus Scene – Pride of a Phoenix -**

Leaning back in his seat, Riser groaned to himself as he read the letter from his father. His father, Rakul Phenex, and Lord Gremory had pushed the marriage forwards... again.

Before it was meant to be until Rias had turned twenty-one originally, but they were constantly pushing it closer and closer. They were immortal, so why were they rushing this so much? What were a few years to a pair of lords that had been around during the great war?

And no doubt Rias would blame him for this.

Rias spent a lot of time blaming him for her every trouble, for _taking away her freedom_. He doubted she'd ever even considered that he was just as caught off guard by this when their parents finally revealed when Rias turned thirteen.

He never asked to be engaged to her, the contract was signed when she was born, and he was barely three years old... and yet Rias needed someone to blame for all her troubles, and it was always him.

He had accepted that it was going to happen, he was the third son of a noble family, marrying for the sake of an alliance was practically expected of him, but then he actually met his betrothed...

Rias Gremory was already a cute young woman even at the young age of thirteen... he knew right then that she would be a true beauty when she was older, not like it was a surprise with Venelana as a mother...

Then she opened her mouth, and she was suddenly far less cute, everything he had heard about her told him she was the darling daughter of the Gremory House, friendly and loving...

He saw none of that as the spoiled brat shouted and screamed at him as if he had personally arranged this.

So he gave her space, even as their fathers tried to push them together, and even as years passed, as the teenage brat 'grew up', she never changed.

When she turned sixteen, their fathers forced them to go on a 'date', despite Rias making it clear that she despised him... he'd been the perfect gentleman despite her bitterness and insults, despite her belief that he was a beast of a man who could only think with his dick.

His reward was a video of her throwing her drink in his face posted on the Devilnet for all his peers to see.

And naturally, he was the bad guy in the court of public opinion... Rias was the beautiful darling little sister of the Satan Lucifer, he was just some third son. The video hadn't been close enough to record sound, so it was assumed he had made some crass suggestion to the innocent girl...

He'd simply complimented her on her dress.

Sirzechs Lucifer glared at him so hard when he took her home that he was convinced he was going to die, and Grayfia Lucifuge hadn't been much better. Like he'd ever be dumb enough to try anything on the Satan-damned little sister of Lucifer. His position as a member of the House Phenex could only protect him so much, and he was arrogant (he could admit that), he wasn't suicidal.

Rias Gremory was the bane of his existence.

But if he let her break off their engagement... it would not only embarrass him but embarrass his entire family. Rias was practically a celebrity herself thanks to Sirzechs boasting about her to everyone who would listen and most people who wouldn't... if Rias found him so terrible that she'd defy her family to get out of marrying him then his reputation would be stained forever.

His family's reputation would be besmirched simply by association.

He didn't want Rias, he had a harem already... and yes, she was beautiful, but she'd never bed him, she'd made that clear... and even if it would be his right once they were married, forcing himself on a Satan's little sister would be a wonderful way to prove that no, Phenex's weren't that immortal.

  
Not that hate-fucking Rias Gremory wouldn't almost be worth it. She'd look amazing on her back, legs spread for him, even as she glared and spat insults at him as he took her purity and filled her up... and then Sirzechs would kill him because she cried to him.

He had fantasised over her, and her Peerage members Akeno and Koneko, both for their bodies and their talents... and while he'd love to make that mocking half-fallen shut up and... apologise for her every sugar-coated insult, to put that acidic mouth to better us as she knelt before him... and then Rias would go to Sirzechs, who would erase him from existence for putting the disrespectful bitch in her place.

Koneko was less irritating, even if her constant quiet accusations of 'Ecchi' made him want to show her what real _Ecchi_ looked, and felt, like. She'd make the cutest sounds as he pounded her tight little pussy from behind, pulling her tails... and then he'd die to a fucking Satan.

No amount of pleasure was worth his disintegration. Why couldn't he have been engaged to a girl who didn't have an overprotective Satan as an older sibling?

He also considered adding them to his own Peerage, each member of Rias's Peerage had the potential to be amazing... then he realised that they were an under trained bundle of mental issues that he wanted nothing to do with.

His Peerage wasn't as strong as it could be... but they also didn't have the countless issues every single member of Rias's Peerage had. A half-fallen who just wouldn't use the Light magic that could make her a powerhouse? A Nekoshou who was terrified of her own powers? The Dhampir with a powerful sacred gear that was too afraid to leave his room? He didn't know what Kiba's problem was, but he was sure he had some deep trauma or daddy issues.

And Rias didn't seem to even try and fix them, instead of coddling them... a spoiled princess playing house with a bunch of broken dolls.

Yubelluna had been a gift for him on his thirteenth birthday, the daughter of two reincarnated devils who had a great talent for Explosion magic, she'd been recruited as his Queen, and she was happy where she was.

“MmMmmm.”

Smiling to himself, he stroked her silky purple hair as she bobbed her head. Rias just didn't get it, seeing him as a degenerate for treating his Peerage like a harem... almost every male devil did the same, even her own father had a Peerage of beautiful women.

Ravel had been added to his Peerage because his parents wanted her to get some experience in rating games before they thought she was ready to have her own Peerage... despite rumours that she was a part of his harem, he was basically just babysitting his baby sister, even if she was impressively powerful herself.

Marion and Burent were maids of the Phenex family, and most of the rest had been recruited from the Phenex family lands, none were in his Peerage by force.

In truth, Ravel had gathered most of them, after she decided his Peerage needed filling out, since he had never been that interested in building a peerage as he had won most Rating Games single-handedly and had no real interest in joining the higher level Rating Games like his brother had.

So many devils had harems... and he was the villain for having one of his own? Rias was so... unreasonable.

Groaning, he let himself go as Yubelluna sucked harder, smirking up at him as he started to cum, his seed flooding her mouth.

Holding in place, she waited a moment before she pulled back, audibly gulping with a smirk before she opened her mouth, moving her tongue around to show how empty her mouth was.

“Will that be all, my king?” Yubelluna asked, her eyes lingering on his still hard shaft.

  
“For now... but send Ile and Nel up to my room, would you?” Riser 'asked', making her bow deeply, her breasts bouncing slightly as she did.

Honestly, Rias had an overly high opinion of herself... he had his life set, why would he want to ruin it by wanting a wife who literally despised him?

He was the bigger victim of the two, stuck with her for a fiancée.

**Authors Note: This chapter was supposed to be out like a week ago... I blame Among Us, the Discord MCEternal server and Cambrian. If you ever play Among Us with Cambrian, he's a lying bastard, and you can't trust a single word he says.**

**Also, I'm considering lowering my chapters to 7.5k-10k words instead of always going for 10k, to help me get the chapters out faster and with less stress.**

**Finally, to the guy leaving insulting guest reviews on all my stories under different names (Alucard, Vallhala (which isn't even how Valhalla is spelt), Alain, etc.)... One, you're a fucking idiot if you think you're fooling anyone by changing your name (seven reviews left on four fics within an hour of each other, after some of the stories haven't been reviewed in weeks?), Two, get a life dude, I'm bored of deleting your spammed flames and no-one but me even sees them since I have reviews on moderate thanks to shit like this and they get deleted before they are even added to the fic and finally... It's 'story' not 'history'. Learn to write in English before you write whiny reviews in it.**

**Next Update: Either Freedom Ch04 or Ambition Ch13, idk**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****


	4. Dearly Departed

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

  
  


**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 04: Dearly Departed**

  
  


Sharing Kuoh with another King wasn't her first choice, not even remotely, but while there were many advantages to being the little sister of Lucifer himself, there were also several downsides.

  
  


Sirzechs very rarely used his position over her, but when he did, she had no choice but to accept meekly, especially when he was serious enough to ignore her attempts to convince him otherwise.

  
  


Despite how ridiculous he could be at times, Sirzechs did take his job seriously, and he agreed with Serafall's plan to put the new Lord Dantalion in Kuoh, and when two Satans both agreed on something, there was nothing a couple of Heiresses could hope to do, even when those Satans were their overbearing elder siblings.

  
  


It also meant neither of them could refuse when asked to... keep an eye on the new Lord. It was the first time she'd been given a serious assignment by Sirzechs, and that told her just how serious it was.

  
  


Walking up the path towards the manor, Rias smiled slightly at the constant feeling of magic tickling her skin. Kuro Dantalion hadn't wasted any time securing his new home.

  
  


It wasn't an oppressive feeling, but her magical senses were good enough to pick up the subtle feeling of the wards surrounding the estate.

  
  


“They don't feel very aggressive, some form of detection ward?” Sona muttered, more to herself than to her. Sona was a big fan of trying to work out how other people's magic worked, even if she couldn't use it herself.

  
  


She was a pretty big nerd when it came to magic... but that helped her and her peerage since her entire strategy in battle was to learn how her opponent's abilities worked so she could counter them.

  
  


“If so, he already knows we are here.” Rias pointed out as they approached the front door, getting her confirmation almost immediately as the door opened before they could even announce themselves.

  
  


Pausing, she glanced over the smiling woman at the door... a human? Ah, this must be one of the Dantalion slaves her brother had told her about.

  
  


The ginger-haired woman curtsied to them with a submissive smile, wearing an incredibly deep-cut emerald dress that left her modest breasts almost completely on display.

  
  


“Heiress Sitri, Heiress Gremory, allow me to welcome you to Lord Dantalion's new estate. He has been expecting you. I am Aria, the head slave of House Dantalion. Please come in. Lord Kuro is awaiting you in the conference room as we speak.” Aria said, her tone humble and respectful as she rose.

  
  


Was it planned for her to point out that Kuro's position was technically higher than theirs? They might be heiresses, but Kuro was already the Lord of his family, even if it was a tragic situation that had lead to his early rise to power.

  
  


Judging from Sona's subtle frown, she certainly thought so.

  
  


It was also nice to get an idea of Kuro's personality. Given what he had his slave wear, he was almost certainly a lustful devil. Not that that was much of a surprise, or even really a problem.

  
  


It would be hypocritical of her to have a problem with lustful devils when she had Akeno of all people as her Queen.

  
  


“Of course, lead the way.” Sona spoke for them, entering the building as the slave took a step back.

  
  


It was hard to tell after such a short time, but the woman seemed happy enough, She was certainly well-spoken, and the dress looked far more expensive than she'd expect from a slave.

  
  


She couldn't really learn anything about her new co-King from the mansion itself; it was a gift after all, and one he had only just moved into. It did say something about his mindset that he had put up some wards already.

  
  


The former Lord Dantalion was apparently an incredibly honourable man, for a Devil at least, but her brother knew little about his son as he'd left the meeting to Serafall.

  
  


There was a bit of a disagreement over whether Extra Demons classed as foreign or domestic affairs issue, but with the Old Satans doing Old Satan things, Sirzechs had to step back from the Dantalion situation to try and stop a civil war from starting up again.

  
  


Stopping a civil war from starting was basically Sirzechs nine-to-five job.

  
  


As they entered the conference room, she only had one real thought on her first look at the newest King in Kuoh.

  
  


Maou damn it... he's a Sloth Devil.

  
  


Her second thought was... what the fuck were the seven-foot-tall snake ladies behind him?

  
  


Staring at the older teen as he rested his head against his fist, she immediately recognised the laziness in his gaze, the way he slouched in his chair.

  
  


Even if she hadn't met the laziest devil in the Underworld, Falbium Asmodeus, repeatedly, she'd seen that same lethargic gaze in the mirror every day for years.

  
  


It was one of the main reasons she was in danger of being forced to marry Riser. She had had years to prepare for dealing with him, and instead, she had put it off over and over again.

  
  


She'd even ignored her mother and brothers advice to start training harder over the past few years, and now she was almost out of time. Years had turned to months while she had played school girl, and now she had so little time left to train it wouldn't make a difference if she spent her every waking moment working herself and her peerage to the bone.

  
  


A small voice that sounded strangely like Sona pointed out she was just making excuses not to work again.

  
  


In the position she had put herself in, she only really had one choice left... get out of her marriage somehow without having to beat Riser in a Rating Game. She had to hope for a miracle.

  
  


Her original plan to get out of her engagement had actually gone incredibly well, but she had underestimated just how set on the engagement their parents were.

  
  


She’d put every connection she had to use as she set about destroying Riser’s reputation, because she knew how seriously her father took reputation.

  
  


She had thought ruining Riser's reputation and painting him as the villain in their engagement would be enough to get her out of her marriage, but her father had punished her by speeding it up instead.

  
  


Devils had short memories despite their long lifespan, and in time another scandal would draw people's attention away from her hard work trashing Riser's reputation so they could look down on someone else instead.

  
  


Riser simply wasn't important enough for anyone to really care enough to remember the rumours she painstakingly spread about him. If he was the heir of his family, things would be different, but who cares for some third son?

  
  


She’d wasted too much time and cornered herself, and now she needed outside help to escape her impending marriage.

  
  


It couldn't be Sona. The Sitri's were old allies of both the Gremory's and the Phenex's, and both Lord and Lady Sitri had made it clear that if Sona interfered with the affairs of two allied clans, she'd find herself back in the Underworld until she could be trusted to be left to her own devices again.

  
  


Her cousin Sairaong couldn’t help either. She had hopes that with his strength he could help her but… he didn’t inherit the Bael’s Power of Destruction and that had resulted in him being practically tossed aside by his father. He had his own problems and was in no position to help her.

  
  


Her brother had made it clear that he couldn’t free her from her engagement as well… for a multitude of reasons, not least of which was that he was one of the people who supported the contract that was made when she was first born. As the Satan in charge of Domestic Affairs, he had all but given the alliance his blessing, even if it was unneeded.

  
  


It was Something he couldn’t just take back without good cause, and Riser being an asshole wasn't a good enough cause. Even if he could, Satan’s were not permitted to interfere with clan business unless it posed a threat to the devil race as a whole.

  
  


It didn't help that his Queen and main advisor, Grayfia, was whispering into his ear to let the marriage go through. Grayfia was all about duty, and to the maid, it was simply Rias's duty to her family to marry Riser regardless of her personal feelings on the matter.

  
  


It was Ironic coming from the woman who betrayed her own family and faction to marry Sirzechs after he beat her in battle, then roleplayed as a maid for the next thousand years or so, but it wasn’t really a surprise that devils excelled at hypocrisy.

  
  


So she needed someone else...

  
  


And someone who was probably too lazy to be that miracle wasn't a good sign. A prideful devil she could work with; prideful devils didn't tend to get on well after all, and Riser was very prideful. Put them in a room together, and she'd have her ally against Riser in minutes.

  
  


A greedy devil was a bit more complicated, but still workable. A lustful devil would be ideal; she was incredibly beautiful and had no qualms about using that to her advantage.

  
  


But a lazy devil? It would be a pain in her perfect ass to get his help, especially with the restrictions she had to work with thanks to having two Satans breathing down her neck not to drive him away.

  
  


“Lord Dantalion, I take it?” Sona started. It was nice sharing her town with Sona... she was more than willing to do all the hard work. It was why their dual ownership had worked out so well so far.

  
  


“Kuro is fine, Heiress Sitri.” Kuro half-sighed as he sat up straighter, drawing her attention to his slightly moving shirt pocket. A small skeletal head poked out of it and stared at her before it shot back into his pocket.

  
  


Was that an animated skeletal rat? What kind of fun-house of horrors was this?

  
  


...it was kinda cute.

  
  


There was an... aura around him that sent shivers through her for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on, a chill to the air around him. It wasn't uncomfortably cold, but it put her on edge.

  
  


He looked as unthreatening as possible if you ignored the snake women almost glaring at them with a creepy yellow stare, nowhere near as cute as Koneko's golden gaze... the way he was still half slouched in his chair and the lethargic way he moved didn't make him seem like a danger at all... and yet something in the way he looked at them made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

  
  


“Then Sona will do. This is my queen, Tsubaki.” Sona introduced calmly as she took one of the four seats prepared, either not sensing the same sinister feeling or simply pushing through it.

  
  


Another nice flex was that he already knew how many people were coming before they arrived, and prepared the exact number of seats.

  
  


“And I am Rias, and this is my own queen, Akeno.” Rias finally said as he turned to her, a strange mixture of curiosity and recognition in his gaze.

  
  


“Ahh, I thought I recognised you. Congratulations on your engagement, Miss Gremory.” Kuro said after a moment, a lazy smile growing on his face even as she and Akeno glared at him.Sona rolled her eyes.

  
  


...Oh fuck this guy.

  
  


**\- Kuro -**

  
  


**-10 Affection with Rias Gremory [-20/100]... you know why**

  
  


Heh, couldn't resist.

  
  


“Thank you.” Rias says, with more venom in her words than the Naga standing behind me has in its entire body.

  
  


Doing my best to look innocent, I take a moment to let my disappointment grow.

  
  


I started at level one around a week or two ago... so why the fuck are their levels so low?

  
  


Tsubaki I can understand. I don't know how long she has been with Sona, and the holds the lowest level of thirty-one, which is something I can excuse if she's fairly newly turned. Akeno, I can almost understand with her higher level of thirty-four.

  
  


Sona is the highest by a considerable margin, having broken the level fifty barrier and reaching level fifty-one, a whole thirty-six levels higher than me... but why, in the actual fuck, is Rias only level thirty-seven?!

  
  


That's only twenty-two levels higher than me, and the only reason I haven't levelled up further is because I hit a road-block in the form of those asshole ghosts, something I am hoping to fix by coming here.

  
  


Assuming Sona and Rias are the same age, and taking into account that they are rivals, I would have expected Rias to be the higher level of the two since she has the motivation of Riser and her marriage to encourage her to train hard... but she's fourteen levels lower?

  
  


Damn it, now I need another Devil Heir or Heiress and their ages to work out if Rias is lazy or Sona is an overachiever.

  
  


Or both.

  
  


What this has told me is that catching up to my ‘peers’ shouldn’t be that hard; surpassing them will simply require time and effort.

  
  


Two things I have, oddly enough.

  
  


I don’t have unlimited time, but I have time to spare since I don't think Kokabiel's nonsense happens too close to the start of the show, and there's no way we are already mid-season with levels this pathetic.

  
  


Rias relies on Issei a lot, but surely she would be a lot higher level than this if we were later on in the show.

  
  


"You're welcome. Now, is there an actual purpose to this meeting, or are we just playing meet and greet?" I ask calmly, relaxing slightly now that I know catching up to my peers won't be the insurmountable task I originally expected.

  
  


"While meeting the newest Devil in Kuoh was a large part of my reasoning for coming here today, I also wanted to extend an invitation to you to join the meetings Rias, and I have every month to discuss any and all matters affecting our city." Sona says calmly, clearly cutting off Rias before she can reply again.

  
  


Should I be deliberately antagonising her? Probably not, but I'm just so... disappointed. She has the fucking Power of Destruction, and she doesn't even train with it? I almost hope she ends up stuck with Riser for her laziness.

  
  


“In all honesty, I'm not particularly interested in the ruling of Kuoh. I'm more than happy to be a silent ruler and allow you to rule as you have been. I'd be happy to attend your meetings but don't feel a need to change things on my account.” I say back to her, smiling lazily even as I watch her.

  
  


Sona is hard to read, but there's something that gives me an advantage in dealing with her...

  
  


**+10 Affection with Sona Sitri for not undermining the rule she enjoys [5/100]**

  
  


They all started at -5, but I already know exactly why that is...

  
  


**[Deathly Presence]**

**The Death Magic coursing through your body has taken its toll, leaving you pale and somewhat sickly looking, and you give off a natural aura that most living beings find intimidating or off-putting. Undead creatures find this aura appealing.**

  
  


Devil's are living creatures, after all, supernatural or not.

  
  


"I'd be far happier simply working on my warding skills to be perfectly blunt. In fact, that relates to the only real question I actually have: is there going to be a problem with me placing wards around the city?" I ask with a smile, watching Sona pause as she shares a glance with Rias.

  
  


"That would depend on what exactly these wards do. While this estate is yours to do with as you please, the city is shared between all three of us, and we cannot have one king holding more power over the city than the others." Sona says sternly, clearly the spokesperson here; Rias is more than happy to just give me a dirty look while Sona talks.

  
  


“Surveillance and detection wards are the ones I was most interested in, both of which could be used by all three of us if that would make you more comfortable. If you choose a room in a neutral location, I can set up the security system there and show you how to use it; both wards are rather simple to use after all.” I offer, watching Sona's eyes narrow in thought.

  
  


Obviously, I won’t include my own estate in the area covered... and my family knows a trick to make surveillance type wards just... ignore our presence.

  
  


"The school could work. We are there almost every day, after all." Rias points out after a moment, her scowl fading into a pout as she gives me a dirty look. If there's one positive thing I can say about her, it's that she is incredibly attractive.

  
  


Really going for that seductress devil thing.

  
  


“Perhaps, but having an older teen who isn't a student frequently visiting the school could start rumours and could even damage the reputation of the school.” Sona counters before she pauses and looks me over for a moment. “Although Kuro could pass for a mature third year easily enough.”

  
  


If it wasn't for Sona's small breasts I'd think that devils are so... voluptuous by nature, she's certainly the odd one out in this group.

  
  


Even Tsubaki has impressively large breasts, though no match for Rias and more importantly Akeno's ridiculous large tits.

  
  


Did she have to get a custom version of the already revealing Kuoh school uniform to fit those fucking things inside it? Her shirt looks like it's about to burst every time she so much as twitches.

  
  


“Ara Ara~”

  
  


I was staring, wasn't I?

  
  


**+5 Affection with Akeno for amusing her [-5/100]**

  
  


"As I was saying, if you are quite done staring at Akeno, you could pass for a third year easily enough, and with the staff in our families pockets it would be child's play to get you enrolled." Sona says, her tone stern and ever so slightly hurt as she glances around the room then down to herself.

  
  


"Did I not just say I'd rather spend my time studying my family magic? Wasting hours every day sitting in classes seems counter-productive, especially when your sister is waiting for me to get good enough with my wards." I refute quickly.

  
  


Don't get me wrong, attending Kuoh won’t be that bad from a logical standpoint; it takes away some of the mystique of being a new arrival who spends all day lurking in his murder estate, and it puts me in place to get my hands on Issei and the other guy before they can beat me to it...

  
  


But I didn't graduate high-school and then die, only to get stuck going to high-school all over again, even if it is just for a single year of my new pseudo-immortal life.

  
  


Huh, maybe that's why Rias and Sona are so happy to waste time in the human world? What are a few years when you have a life expectancy in the four digits at a minimum?

  
  


"Do you honestly think I waste all my time attending classes? The school staff are employed by the Sitri and Gremoryare family, and are well aware of our supernatural status. There is a hypnotic spell cast over the students at the beginning of the year by my sister to make them ignore any unusual occurrences around us. Given that you coming here was her idea and something she pushed for, getting her to take an hour out of her day to recast it should be simple enough. Attend as many or as few lessons as you want; it simply gives you a reason to be coming in and out of the school, which is useful given that most of our monthly meetings are held there.” Sona explains as I pause.

  
  


That... explains way too much.

  
  


“We take turns hosting them, and I host mine in the building I have claimed for the club I use as a cover for my Peerage.” Rias explains after a moment, still pouting slightly.

  
  


“And I either use the student council room, of which I am the President as the Student Council is my own peerage, or I hold them at my family mansion in the Underworld occasionally.” Sona continues making me nod.

  
  


“If I am expected to host them, I'll do it here. No offence but we don't allow outsiders into Dantalion Castle without very good reason. Your sister was one of the first people outside the family to see the insides in centuries.” I say with a shrug.

  
  


"Understandable, now, if you have no other issues, I will start the paperwork to have you enrolled. Technically your first day should be this Monday, but the staff and students will not notice your absence if you choose not to attend. I will find a rarely used room in the school and have it cleared for the security system when you are ready to start warding." Sona says, making me chuckle internally at how she has basically taken charge of this meeting, but with Rias and me as her partners, it isn't really surprising.

  
  


“Very well, but I have too much to do to attend classes so I will likely skip most days... I might attend on Monday, but don't expect me to make a habit of it.” I agree with a shrug.

  
  


If I don't have to attend every day, then it really only works in my favour. I'm not a Fleshcrafting Devil Lord; I'm just a third-year student at Kuoh.

  
  


“Excellent, the only real issue going on in the city at the moment is the presence of a stray devil. Most likely a woman named Viser as she was reported as missing shortly before we realised we had a stray in our city. So far she has simply kidnapped and likely killed several human men but she will need eliminating to keep the order in Kuoh.” Sona informs me calmly, her tone utterly casual as she speaks of the deaths of humans.

  
  


I vaguely remember her? Didn't she die right at the beginning?

  
  


“My familiar is searching for her, but she is fairly good at hiding. When I find her, my Peerage and I will eliminate her. If you find her first feel free to take her out yourself. She is apparently incredibly weak.” Rias says, waving her hand slightly.

  
  


But she is magical... and I could use some magical materials to work with.

  
  


"There are some magicians living in the city, but they keep to themselves and pay tribute for living in devil territory, and the local Church is being inhabited by several Fallen from the Grigori; do try not to antagonise them. They might be living in our territory but driving them off would be more trouble than it is worth; the peace between our races is fragile enough, and it simply isn't worth risking conflict just to throw them out of an abandoned church, at least until they actually do something that gives us cause to have them driven out. The last thing we want is to kill them only to find out that one of them is one of Azazel's children and for him to take offence." Sona scoffs.

  
  


“That's a risk?” I ask despite myself.

  
  


"Half the Grigori are Azazel's spawn." Sona deadpans back. "It's better to assume that if a Fallen doesn't have that many wings, they are probably Azazel's bastards."

  
  


“Ah.”

  
  


"Indeed. Fortunately, the Church itself has no presence in Kuoh after the deaths of Masaomi Yaegaki and Cleria Belial, so you don't need to worry about that faction. Next, your... whatever they are." Sona drawls, glancing at my Naga as they glare back. "While the students are under a spell to ignore unusual occurrences, the town is not, and you are still expected to keep up the masquerade and hide any blatant supernatural activity from the humans of the town." Sona warns as I smile.

  
  


"They are my Nagas, my own creations, and you don't need to worry... I have my own ways to prevent people from spotting the supernatural. Any humans looking into my estate won't be able to see my Naga patrolling." I say soothingly as she frowns.

  
  


“I thought wards were your family magic, and I've certainly not heard of any devil magic that can create... monsters?” Rias points out as I shrug.

  
  


“I prefer the word 'Abominations'.”

  
  


“Wards are my family magic, and this is my own unique magic. I don't know where it came from in truth, but I've always had it. I made Gadget here when I was seven.” I say with a smile as I hold my hand to my pocket and watch as the skeletal rat scurries out onto it, rushing up my arm onto my shoulder. “Beyond that, my magic is my business, and I expect you to respect that.”

  
  


As Rias goes to speak again, Sona cuts her off.

  
  


"Understood, family magic is personal, after all." Sona says, giving Rias a warning glare. "If you say you can keep them hidden, so be it. As long as it does not cause problems then I have no further problems with-"

  
  


As she goes to continue, a flash of blue flames fills the room and I sigh even as Nyx makes herself known, the lazy shadow phoenix landing on the table in front of me with a cry.

  
  


“...it? What-”

  
  


Couldn't wait five more minutes, huh you fat bird?

  
  


Reaching into my pocket, I access my inventory and pull out a small packet of berries, picking one out and feeding it to the greedy fucker before she makes a fuss.

  
  


“Sorry, she can be a real handful at times.” I say calmly, ignoring their stares as I stroke the head-feathers of the smug bird, passing more berries to her. “This is Nyx, my familiar.”

  
  


“Is that a- no, never mind that. I'm not sure I even want to know.” Sona mutters, staring at Nyx even as my familiar stares back with far too smug eyes. “That is everything I had to discuss with you today, and frankly I have more things to do today, so if you have no questions yourself then I will take my leave.”

  
  


“I have no questi-” I start before pausing, mentally checking a ping in my wards.

  
  


Normally my detection wards are tied to a map in my security room, and my surveillance wards are tied to a 'screen' in the same room where I can control the bird's eye view and move it around, but I can access my detection ward mentally as long as I am within its range.

  
  


“I have one question.” I correct after a moment, watching the devil aura heading up the path towards my estate. “Is the devil currently letting themselves into my house one of yours or should I have my nagas start attacking?”

  
  


“None of my peerage should be coming here, and they certainly know better than to storm into another devils home.” Sona says as she stands up, magic circles forming in one of her hands as she prepares a spell.She stares at the door as she hears the approaching footsteps.

  
  


“My peerage all have other duties today so it won't be any of them.” Rias confirms as she rises herself, just as the door is forcibly opened. A scowling blonde storms in and quickly looks around the room, his glare locking onto me.

  
  


**Yuuto Kiba, Host of Sword Birth**

**LVL – 35**

**Faction – Rias Gremory's Peerage**

**Thoughts about you – Grudge**

**Reputation – -30**

  
  


The fuck did I do?

  
  


...oh right, Excalibur.

  
  


**\- Rias -**

  
  


Oh no.

  
  


“Kiba, go home now, we will be talking about this later.” Rias said in her sternest voice, staring down her knight as he glared at Kuro, who looked back with a bored and almost amused gaze.

  
  


“Dantalion, your grandfather took one of the Excalibur pieces as a trophy in the great war before his death... what did he do with it?!” Kiba growled as Kuro started to smirk slightly.

  
  


“He put it in the trophy room, where Excalibur Rapidly sits to the day... behind some of the strongest wards in existence where no-one can get access to it.” Kuro countered with a casual smile, uncaring of the suddenly hostile air.

  
  


"Kiba, leave. Now." Rias tried again, moving as she made eye contact with Akeno. The fact that the Dantalion's managed to claim one of the pieces of the Excalibur wasn't a secret; Izan Dantalion had made sure everyone knew that he had not only killed a holy sword wielder, but had also managed to steal the blade and take it back to the Underworld.

  
  


He also claimed he was going to capture Gabriel as the ultimate trophy and then got turned into a pile of ash by Michael, but that didn't change the fact that the sword was already hidden away by then.

  
  


It was shortly after that that the Dantalion's pulled back to their castle and, even though the Church had asked for it back during the negotiations, the Dantalion's never responded to any attempt to get them to give it back.

  
  


“Why are you protecting one of those damned blades? They have to be-”

  
  


“I'm gonna stop you right there. Get out of my house. Gremory, get your knight under control.” Kuro said bluntly, an inarticulate growl leaving Kiba as he took a step forwards, both Naga behind Kuro standing to attention as they hissed, venom leaking from their fangs. “Excalibur Rapidly is mine, and it will remain in its place in my trophy room for the rest of time if I have my way.”

  
  


“Rias.” Sona said warningly, her magical circle still glowing, an ice spell to freeze a person in place if she was reading it right.

  
  


“Kiba, this is your last warning. We are leaving, and we are going to have a long talk about how you are supposed to act in front of a Lord.” Rias warned as she stood in between Kiba and Kuro, hearing a lazy chuckle coming from Kuro.

  
  


Only a mad-man would fight a Dantalion in a place where they had time to prepare, and with Serafall and Sirzechs orders, not only would Sona join any fight on Kuro's side... she would have to as well.

  
  


“I'm sorry, Rias... but I can't just ignore someone who has one of those bastard swords. I'm not leaving here without-” Kiba ranted as she nodded slightly, Akeno reaching out and grabbing Kiba by the back of his neck.

  
  


As lightning coursed through Kiba's body, she sighed to herself and watched him fall to the ground, the surprise attack knocking him out.

  
  


Kiba would normally be far more on guard than that...

  
  


"Rias! I told you to make sure he wouldn't do this." Sona hissed angrily, her glasses flashing intimidatingly. It would be scarier if she didn't know that Sona had an enchantment on her glasses to make them do that.

  
  


“I did! He seemed to understand!” Rias said defensively, and truthfully at that.

  
  


She'd spoken with Kiba at length about this very thing, and the fact that he just... lied to her face when he promised not to confront Kuro like this stung deeply.

  
  


“He seems nice. I'm sure you'll understand when I configure the wards to attack him if he returns.” Kuro said lazily, seemingly the only person in the room not worried. “If this is how poorly you can control your peerage, I wish Riser the best of luck in dealing with you all, it certainly looks like you could all use a firm hand...”

  
  


“I... apologise for the actions of my knight; the Excalibur pieces are a particularly sore spot for him. I will ensure he is properly punished for his actions.” Rias bit out, ignoring his barbed comment.

  
  


“Mhmm, you do that. Now if you don't mind... go away.” Kuro drawled, the slightest hint of anger in his gaze as he stared her down.

  
  


“I have to agree, perhaps it is best we leave Lord Dantalion to his studies... we have a lot to talk about after all.” Sona half-growled.

  
  


“It's still Kuro to you, Sona.” Kuro assured her, giving her fellow King a calm smile which she returned after a moment. “You and your peerage are always welcome here, but I understand that you're a busy woman. It was a pleasure meeting you. Miss Gremory, it was an... experience meeting you, I guess.”

  
  


A part of her still wanted to glare at him, but honestly? That was fair.

  
  


– **Later -**

  
  


Collapsing onto her couch, she groaned as the ringing of her ears started to fade.

  
  


Sona had a very... shrill shouting voice when she was angry, and she had just spent the past three hours ranting at her for Kiba's actions.

  
  


To make it worse, this wouldn't be the end of it as Sona had made it clear she was going to have to report this to the Satan Leviathan... who would tell Sirzechs, who would probably tell their parents because he didn't like shouting at her himself.

  
  


Or worse, he'd send Grayfia and she'd get a seven hour lecture about how she had failed in her duties as both a King and a relative of a Satan. It was amazing how long Grayfia could lecture you without ever repeating herself.

  
  


Fun.

  
  


Kiba was under house arrest, and would remain so until she had any idea what the hell she was supposed to do with him.

  
  


He didn't attack Kuro, but there was no denying that it was heading that way... a reincarnated devil threatening a pureblood lord was a nightmare scenario already, even if two Satans weren't interested in that very Lord.

  
  


She couldn't just give him a slap on the wrists this time, not with Sona, Serafall and Sirzechs watching. Oddly enough, Kuro was probably the one who cared the least.

  
  


If he was demanding Kiba's head... he'd probably get it, and for that she was thankful that he seemed so unconcerned about Kiba.

  
  


He was a sarcastic asshole who enjoyed pushing her buttons far too much, but he wasn't as vengeful as she had expected.

  
  


He seemed to find the whole situation more amusing than anything else, even if it had annoyed him.

  
  


“That could have gone better.” Akeno deadpanned as she sat down, making Rias groan into the couch-arm.

  
  


“It couldn't have gone much worse.” Rias sighed as she sat up. “Do you think he was genuine when he was congratulating me on my engagement?” Rias asked after a moment.

  
  


“Well, Kiba could have attacked him before we could knock him out... and no, he definitely wasn't; he was enjoying pissing you off... I know a fellow sadist when I see one~ such a naughty one as well. Ufufufu~”

  
  


She'd known Akeno for years, and she still wasn't sure if she was actually laughing or just saying Ufufufu out loud.

  
  


“What did you think of him?” Rias asked, her brow narrowed in thought.

"He's lazy, he doesn't want to do anything he finds too much effort, he was serious about focusing on his studies and he has probably been putting them off as much as a certain other lazy heir~ I suppose his parent's death was a rather rude wake-up call for him." Akeno said seriously, her teasing tone fading even as she got one last jab in. "He's also a pervert, even if he wasn't that blatant about it... I can't blame him for growing bored and letting his gaze wander while Sona was on a roll."

  
  


“Sona does like talking too much.” Rias agreed with a slight giggle before she went quiet.

  
  


She had no idea what Kuro Dantalion could do. She'd almost written him off from being able to help her simply because the Dantalion family magic was something that required a lot of prep work, and there was no way she could get the Lord of another family to join her peerage; even she knew that.

  
  


But those things... Nagas...

  
  


What the hell was that magic? What could his Nagas do? What else could he make... and could they be turned with Evil Pieces?

  
  


She had two major problems when it came to beating Riser... One, his regeneration.

  
  


As long as she didn't have a way to get past his ability to regenerate, she couldn't hope to win a rating game... but Phenex's had been killed before, both in the Great War and in the Civil War.

  
  


It wasn't impossible.

  
  


And two... Riser had a full peerage, even if most of his peerage were basically sex toys picked to fit a type rather than for their skills.

  
  


Only Riser, Ravel and Yubelluna were really a challenge, but quantity had a quality of its own and she would lose simply because her peerage would be overwhelmed.

  
  


Suddenly it was looking like Kuro might be able to help her after all. Now she just had to get more information and work out how the hell to make him help her despite their... rough start.

  
  


That wasn't even taking into account that he had a fucking phoenix, a mystical creature so rare there had been less than a dozen confirmed sightings, ever. She wasn't convinced it was the real thing, but if it was then Kuro had one of the rarest creatures in existence as his attention-seeking familiar.

  
  


The Phenex family had a bounty out offering a small fortune for any information that led to them finding a real phoenix, but it had never been claimed as every attempt had been proven to be a hoax.

  
  


If Kuro knew where she could find another one, she could probably get the Phenex's to break the marriage off themselves, but even she wasn't desperate enough to try and take a devil's familiar.

  
  


“Rias, I know how worried you are getting but we are already on very thin ice thanks to Kiba... if you mess up and make Kuro go back to his castle-” Akeno started.

  
  


“I know, being Sirzechs little sister won't save me. The marriage would probably be fast-tracked and I'd be married off to Riser and we'd be sent to live in the Phenex mansion for the rest of my life.” Rias agreed with a deep sigh.

  
  


As Akeno went to speak, a magical circle lit up the room, an icy blue glow flooding the room as Rias let out a sigh.

  
  


As the silver-haired maid teleported into the middle of her private lounge, Rias wasn't even surprised as Grayfia turned to her with a decidedly unimpressed stare.

  
  


**\- Kuro -**

  
  


Kiba is an asshole.

  
  


But... he gave me an idea.

  
  


You see, when he mentioned my grandfather I had a moment of clarity and remembered something.

  
  


My grandfather, Izan Dantalion, was the greatest user of Dantalion wards in the history of my family.

  
  


AND I HAVE A SPELL THAT LETS ME COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD.

  
  


I'm a fucking idiot.

  
  


Why am I trying to work this all out by myself when I can just call the greatest wardsmith in history back from the grave and ask him? I've gone over the spell repeatedly, and all it does is summon the spirit back.

  
  


As far as I can tell, it won't have any powers and cancelling the spell sends it right back to wherever devils go when they die.

  
  


I'm not being stupid about this. I've picked a room out and placed an inverted spirit ward on it to trap him until I'm ready to banish him... and if he proves unwilling?

  
  


I have an entire family of wardcrafters just ready to be called on; I'm sure one of them will be willing to help out an industrious descendant.

  
  


Calling up my mana again, I frown in concentration as I focus on summoning the right soul, and my magic reaches out and grasps for the soul of my dearly departed grandad.

  
  


As the spectral form of a somewhat man starts to form, I prepare myself to try and convince a man who every record says was a sadistic monster to help me... right before he starts cackling to himself.

  
  


“I AM FREE! EAT SHIT, GOD- OWW, FUCK, SHIT, FUCK, DAMN IT. I'M ALREADY DEAD YOU CUNT, STOP ZAPPING ME FOR SAYING YOUR NAME YOU PIECE OF- Wait, who the fuck are you?”

  
  


As the spirit stares down at me, his head tilting slightly, I take a moment to ask myself if it wouldn't be better to go for another Dantalion instead. Do I _really_ need the best ward-crafter? Can't I just settle for a decent ward-crafter instead?

  
  


"Well? I asked you a question you creepy looking mother-fucker. Or are you mute you pale ass bitch, you better not be a fucking vampire. Spooky ass bloodsuckers..." Izan, the greatest of all Dantalion's, scoffs as I stare at him.

  
  


Despite his immense age, he looks like he is in his late twenties at the worst, with short black hair and scornful red eyes on a rough but admittedly handsome face.

  
  


“You know what, you can go back to wherever you were before I summoned you. I'll find someone else to help me with my wards.” I decide calmly, watching as his eyes widen in shock, lunging forwards quickly.

  
  


“Nope, sorry... the spirit ward ends there.” I say tauntingly as he slams into an invisible barrier.

  
  


"Okay, okay... maybe we got off on the wrong foot. You need help with wards? That means you're a Dantalion; you kinda have the right look for it... I'd have been politer or some shit if I knew you were my kin. Besides, you need help with wards? I'm the fucking greatest wardsmith the Underworld has ever seen, I've had proud noble devils beg on their hands and fucking knees for me to make them one of my mediocre wards, even the fucking Archangels weren't willing to fight me in a place where I had time to prepare." Izan brags as I pause. "See, there's no reason to send me back- what's your name, kid?"

  
  


“Kuro Dantalion, your grandson and the newest Lord of the Dantalion family, and didn't you get murdered by an Archangel?” I point out as he pauses, scratching his chin.

  
  


“Shit, a teenager is the Lord? The fuck happened while I was gone? And okay yeah, technically... but they cheated. Fucking Big G himself shattered my wards to save his precious Gabriel and I was too distracted to notice Michael charging me. In my defence, Gabriel has the best tits in existence and I'd just beaten her sexy ass to the ground and ripped her dress off.If Big G hadn't gotten involved then Michael would have had to watch as I pounded that Archangel pussy until she fell.” Izan brags before he pauses. “With the benefit of hindsight, I probably should have just grabbed her and teleported back to the Underworld, but I'm still probably the only person ali- the only person who can say they've groped those big fat angel tits. Plus, you know how good it feels to make an angel fall while you're balls deep inside them? It was worth the risk.”

  
  


“I- You're an idiot.”

  
  


“I'm a fucking genius, or I was... now all that genius is wasting away in 'probably not hell' and that's a fucking waste." Izan says as he shrugs. "Look kid, the fact that you need help with wards, and you’re the fucking Lord despite being a brat, means you're in a fucked situation, and the whole clan is probably doing just as bad, figures that my dipshit son fucked everything up, the best part of him leaked out of your grandmothers cunt onto the bedsheets... or the dining room table, he always was a fucking disappointment. You need help, I don't want to go back to that shithole, so let's talk." Izan offers as I pause.

  
  


"Wait, go back to where?" I ask after a moment.

  
  


“You know how they say that there's no such thing as hell cause it's just the Underworld and how devil souls just sorta vanished into a void? Big G was a fucking liar, there is absolutely a hell... or at least a place that Devil souls go to after they die. It isn't fucking fun.” Izan grumbles. “Take my advice, brat... don't fucking die. Where you're going isn't a place you wanna be.”

  
  


“I'll take that under advisement...”

  
  


“So, what the fuck happened while I was gone and how badly did that waste of a cum-shot fuck things up?” Izan asks as he puts his hands in his spectral pockets.

  
  


This is what I'm dealing with... he better be fucking amazing at ward-crafting.

  
  


As another light fills the room, we both turn our attention to the side where an icy blue magical circle glows, a figure appearing in the centre.

  
  


As she steps forwards, I immediately recognise the maid with silver braided hair from my vague memories of DxD.

  
  


Oh shit.

  
  


“Lord Dantalion, on behalf of my King, the Great Satan Lucife-”

  
  


“Damn, look at those tits. Hey Maid girl, don't you want to _attend to my needs_.”

  
  


“...excuse me?” Grayfia Lucifuge half-growls, the room growing far colder than the presence of a ghost and a necromancer could hope to make it.

  
  


Oh for the love of God-

  
  


**-50hp**

  
  


Oww.

  
  


**\- Bonus Scene – For Ward Maintenance or Repairs, Please Press 1 -**

  
  


Sighing to herself, Yasaka took a moment to curse the fact that she couldn't just incinerate stupid followers.

  
  


Once upon a time, the Youkai were on friendly terms with the devils, so friendly in fact that she had been able to negotiate and purchase a ward-scheme from the Dantalion family to keep her people safe and hidden.

  
  


Once upon a time the Dantalion's had decided that the rest of the world could go fuck themselves and hid in their castle. Frankly it wasn't a terrible decision considering how absurd the world was getting during the great war. And when they did, they collapsed most of their wards in the process, a final act of spite towards the people who were trying to stop them from leaving, but one of the wards that survived the collapse was the scheme the youkai had purchased as the youkai were also neutral and uninvolved with the Great War.

  
  


The Dantalion's realised that they couldn't survive without any allies at all, and she had made a deal with Iaxes Dantalion to supply the clan with what they needed, and in return they could keep their wards.

  
  


It worked well enough, until a certain idiot got delusions of grandeur.

  
  


One of her many relatives decided that she deserved to rule instead of Yasaka, but knowing that she couldn't hope to beat her in a fair fight got the brilliant idea of taking over the wards and turning them against her...

  
  


To the great surprise of only herself, she instead managed to break the entire ward-scheme, and while some of the wards survived, most of them simply failed completely, the wardstone damaged.

  
  


Then another genius got the idea to fix it themselves, and the wards went weird; some of them would turn themselves on and off repeatedly with no explantation, others would suddenly start targetting a certain race with no warning...

  
  


The great zappening was something Tengu still didn't like to speak off... no one died but they didn't like being reminded of the time they all started getting zapped with weak but constant lightning bolts for three weeks straight.

  
  


It made her smile when the Tengu representative was being an idiot.

  
  


She had called Iaxes to arrange for them to be repaired and instead his wife had answered, her reply?

  
  


That sounds like a problem for you.

  
  


Then she put the phone down.

  
  


Ever since then, she had been unable to get Iaxes to repair it.

  
  


The Dantalion's were now self-sufficient enough not to need the youkai, and while he had at least visited briefly to disable the dangerous wards and scold her like a child for breaking it, the sanctimonious asshole (he was a clear improvement on his psychopath father, but he was still an asshole), he had refused to repair it completely because it wasn't in the contract they had agreed on... and the Dantalion's were no longer taking new contracts.

  
  


Years passed and the wards laid dormant, only a mere fraction of them active and working... until she saw a silver light.

  
  


Looking on the Devilnet, a surprisingly useful source of information, she smiled a foxy smile as she read one of the trashy tabloids before she paused and frowned.

  
  


**Are the Dantalion House returning to the 72 Pillars?**

New Lord of the Dantalion House living in Kuoh with the Satan Leviathan and Lucifiers little sisters.

  
  


Izan was a deviant and a psychopath even by devil standards, and Iaxes was wound so tight he couldn't take a shit without checking his self-appointed rules three times. Perhaps Kuro would be more reasonable than his predecessors?

  
  


But first... she couldn't just show up at his doorstep. Aside from it being incredibly rude to do without warning, she'd definitely piss off the Satans if she interfered with the negotiations that were no doubt still ongoing...

  
  


Which meant she had to make contact with Serafall... who she had been stonewalling for years due to her unwillingness to look into the Nekomata incident or to punish those who had slaughtered the innocent Nekomata living in the Underworld.

  
  


Serafall meant well, and she truly wanted relations between the Youkai and Devils to be repaired, but she also couldn't rock the boat without risking starting a civil war.

  
  


It wasn't that she didn't understand; she had over a hundred sub-races all calling themselves 'Youkai' and it was almost daily that she had to step in to stop two of them from going to war over some minor slight, but she couldn't just sweep the extermination of a Youkai race under the rug either.

  
  


This would be... awkward.

  
  


**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**Next Update: A Gamer's New Game Plus**

  
  


**Authors Note: Finally done, this chapter kicked my ass. And by this chapter I mean Overwatch and Dead by Daylight. I have no regrets. Also I started something new (kinda? Just go check it out, it's the story just called Shiro's Short Story Sanctum.**

  
  


**Also, join the discord if you haven't already.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Maid to Serve

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 05: Maid to Serve**

**\- Grayfia -**

She had made an unfortunate error in judgement.

It wasn't that she had forgotten her manners, quite the opposite... it was simply that she was entirely too used to coming and going as she pleased. She was the strongest Queen, the wife of Lucifer, and there were very few she had to truly act the part of the servant around.

Even the Lord and Lady Gremory, her father and mother in law, would not call her out on her habit of moving freely through their lands, despite not technically being a member of the Gremory family.

As the Satan Lucifer, Sirzechs had given up his position in the Gremory family, and while their son was a member of the Gremory family after countless meetings and arguments when her pregnancy was first announced, it didn't change the fact that Sirzechs was no longer a Gremory, and by extension, neither was she.

Power was everything in the Underworld, and the only devils willing to truly challenge her were the Satans themselves. She had grown used to being above reproach, and despite her chosen 'profession' and uniform, she enjoyed the power that came with her position.

“So, why is this bitch barging into Dantalion lands like she owns the place?” the spectral form of an unfortunately familiar face asked, floating around the new Lord Dantalion with a smirk on his transparent face.

Hiding her scowl, her mind raced as she stared at the unmistakable face of the long dead Izan Dantalion. She was old, old enough to remember the Great War, even if she had been too young to truly take part in the worst of the fighting...

“I am Grayfia Lucifuge, Queen of the Great Satan Lucifer, and I have-”

“Wait, Lucifer declared himself King of the Devils? When the fuck did that happen? Also, what happened to Lilith? Pretty sure she'll have a few things to say about Luci making one of his old maids into the Queen instead of her.” Izan interrupted again as she clenched her fists, glowering at him. “What, you thought I wouldn't remember you? You were a teen last time I saw you but I never forget a body like yours.”

There were very few who would dare challenge her, but she couldn't say she was surprised that the infamous lunatic Izan was one of them.

“Different Lucifer, Grandfather. The original Satan's were slain during the Great War. It's a title now.” Kuro Dantalion corrected making Izan pause. “Also we don't have a King, but I'll explain that later. The Queen is basically... the head servant I guess?”

“Luci died, seriously? Wait... is Levi dead?!” Izan asked after a moment, a flicker of hurt passing his face. “Fuck, looks like I missed a lot... so, who is Lord Lucifer now? It's not that whiny brat Rizevim is it?”

"No, Sirzechs Lucifer took the position after the civil war, though he was formerly Sirzechs Gremory." Kuro explained with a sigh, even as she stared at them, trying to work out what she was seeing.

There was no afterlife for Devils, that was a simple truth she and every other devil had known for thousands of years... and yet what she was seeing was no illusion, she remembered Izan Dantalion well enough, and he died hundreds of years before Kuro would have even been born.

Her musing were cut off as Izan burst out laughing, cackling to himself.

"A fucking Gremory is using Lucifer's name? Fucking seriously?! Oh, that's just perfect. Talk about adding insult to injury. One of those fucking pushovers calling themselves Lucifer? Oh Maou, I can feel Luci's rage from here."

“If you would please be silent a moment.” Grayfia finally snapped, her pride unwilling to allow her to be ignored any longer. “I have a message from Lord Lucifer... one of the four rulers of Devil-kind.”

“No, you be silent, servant.” Izan countered, his amusement fading as he glared at her. “You seem to be forgetting the situation, you're a servant who just trespassed in the lands of a Lord, intruding in an important ritual. You trying to steal Dantalion secrets, bitch?” Izan accused, making Kuro glance at him curiously.

Izan knew exactly what he was doing, and crazy or not Izan was no fool. By accusing her of trying to steal their family secrets, he had made this a far bigger problem than simply trespassing as he smirked at her.

“...I apologise for my trespass but I must insist you stop calling me that.” Grayfia ground out, the constant disrespect damaging her pride in ways it hadn't been touched in centuries.

“Or what, Bitch? I don't care if you're this new discount Lucifer's favourite cock-sleeve, you’re still just a servant barging into a Lord's estate like she owns the place.” Izan scoffed as her icy stare locked onto him. “Whatcha gonna do, I'm already dead slut. You don't like it, you can suck my spectral dick. You must be an amazing fuck cause this wannabe Lucifer sure as fuck didn't make you his Queen for your brains.”

“Lord Lucifer will be visiting later tonight, be ready for him.” Grayfia replied, her tone completely blank as she teleported out.

Reappearing in a grassy clearing in the Underworld, she took a deep breath before she let out a fierce growl, her magic obliterating everything in the clearing.

**\- Kuro -**

“Can you please not go out of your way to piss off one of the most powerful devils in the Underworld?” I ask, half-glaring at the entirely too smug Izan as he floats around.

“Do you think I was doing that for fun? Dumbass, try not to be such a fucking disappointment, you're Lord Dantalion now after all.” Izan scoffs as he floats back in front of me.

“...don't call me that or you're going back to Super-Hell.” I threaten as he rolls his eyes, despite the hint of fear I catch on his face.

“You don't wanna be called a disappointment? I'll tell you the same thing I told your pissant of a father when he tried to get me to stop. You don't wanna be insulted, then get strong enough to make me stop. He never did, maybe you'll do better.” Izan says simply, shrugging.

“I... fair enough, now do you wanna explain what the fuck that was all about?” I ask after a moment, I don't really care about insults to be honest.

Anyone who gets upset over insults needs to grow a thicker skin.

“That was me derailing the arrogant bitches plans. I know a power move when I see one, and some fucking maid just letting herself into your estate? She was either arrogant enough to think she could get away with it, or she was testing you. You're a fucking lord, if you let some servant walk all over you, no matter who she serves, you've already lost.” Izan warns.

“True... but that doesn't change the fact that they could both kill me, and by extension you, with a particularly harsh glare.” I point out making him scoff.

"If looks could kill, the bitch dressed like an expensive whore pretending to be a maid would have disintegrated us both already. Trust me, I know how to deal with people stronger than me, I had to learn to deal with the original Satans. Lucifer could have swatted me like a bug, any of the four overpowered nut jobs could have, and I still dealt with them regularly." Izan says with a smirk. "Hell, Lilith could have ended me with a spell and I still had the psychotic bitch on her knees, worshipping my cock in exchange for me warding Castle Lucifer."

“How the hell did you survive the Underworld long enough for Michael to kill you?” I ask as I sigh.

  
“By making myself too important for the Satans to kill, you know how gratifying it is to have someone like Lilith on her knees staring up at you as she deep throats your cock, knowing she hates you, knowing she's more powerful than you... and still having her take your load on her face?” Izan laughs to himself.

“Can't say I do.”

"Take my advice, kid, and you might just find out. Still... I'm way too out of the loop, I can help you deal with this wannabe Lucifer but I need information. The fuck did I miss?" Izan asked, making me pause.

“...where do you want me to start?”

**\- Sirzechs -**

When he first heard that Kiba had decided to confront the new Dantalion directly, he was less than pleased.

As much as he adored his little sister, Rias coddled her peerage far too much, and refused to try and fix them out of a loving delusion that they weren't broken.

When Grayfia returned and reluctantly admitted that she had made an error in judgement, he was bemused.

Not at Grayfia trespassing, but at a fairly weak devil who had been a lord for less than a month being willing to call her out on it.

It was fairly often that he did things that were technically against the rules just to prove a point, he could do what he wanted. He was after all, the strongest devil alive, and no-one was willing to challenge him over minor rules, not even the Old Satan Faction.

They may hate him, but they were well aware of the difference in power between him and them, it was a careful balancing act to keep them both fearful enough to stay in line while also happy enough that they wouldn't start making too many plots in the background...

They were always plotting of course, but keeping them mostly happy meant they stuck to more... minor plots, merely irritating instead of damaging.

While if they stopped fearing him and his fellow Satans, they would try and reclaim their power by force.

His constant breaking of lesser laws reminded people that he was so powerful as to be above reproach, without being serious enough to actually anger people.

Ironically, it supported the very might makes right mindset the Old Satans were so fond of, and the very same mindset that he and the new Satans had tried to get rid off.

But their might was the only thing keeping them in their positions, and it served their needs to make sure people remembered that.

It was why he never bothered to put a stop to Grayfia's habit of coming and going as she pleased, it was a minor offence that made sure people remembered how powerful they were.

Somehow, he hadn't expected a ghost of a devil long dead to be the one to finally call her out on it.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, face to face." Sirzechs said calmly with a smile as he sat opposite the new Lord Dantalion, his gaze flickering to the ghost of Izan Dantalion. "Your father spoke often and fondly of you, and it is nice to put a face to the name I've heard so often." Sirzechs lied easily.

He barely actually met Kuro's father, and he had heard nothing of Kuro from the man.

“Hey brat, summon the actual Lucifer real quick... I wanna show him the girly boy who stole his name.” Izan cut in, even as Sirzechs kept his smile, waving down Grayfia as she went to retort.

Attacking a devil's pride was a very effective way of getting a response, something Izan clearly already knew. Unfortunately for the spectral devil he wasn't so easily taunted.

From Rias and Grayfia's reluctant description their meetings with Izan and Kuro, he had gotten an idea of their personalities.

Izan was deliberately antagonistic, using insults and mockery to throw his opponents off guard, while Kuro was a far more quiet negotiator, preferring to stay silent and let his opponents talk so he could gather more information, saying as little as he could get away with as to give people as little information to work with as possible.

An effective combination, as Izan would trick their opponents into reacting and giving Kuro more information to use in the negotiation. The counter was simple, don't react to Izan's mockery and remain calm.

It was no wonder so many devils had trouble dealing with Izan during his time as Lord Dantalion, staying calm was rather difficult for most devils.

“I would really you rather didn't, it would be for the best for everyone if the former Lucifer remained gone, though I'm sure his reaction would be highly entertaining.” Sirzechs replied with an easy grin.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Sirzechs. Feel free to ignore Grandfather.” Kuro said calmly, slouching slightly even as he met with one of the rulers of his race.

“I think that would be rather difficult, given that his presence is one of the things I wished to discuss with you today. I've studied the records of the Dantalion's known powers... but I have to say, I have never heard of a ward that can return the dead to even this form of unlife.” Sirzechs admitted.

“Cause it's not a ward, obviously.” Izan scoffed. “You should do your research, even if I can't say I'm surprised to see another Gremory too dumb to do anything without their bullshit luck power carrying them. What the fuck kind of power is good luck anyway?”

As he kept his smile in place, he took a moment to enjoy the look of anger that flashed on Izan's face at his lack of reaction.

“Despite his tone, Grandfather is telling the truth... it isn't a Dantalion power, or perhaps it would be better to say that it wasn't? My mother was the last surviving member of the Gäap family.” Kuro explained after a moment, making his eyes narrow.

“Whose unique magic gave them power over corpses.” Sirzechs followed up, deep in thought.

Nyra Dantalion's original family was something she had kept to herself, for reasons he was quickly working out. The Gäap had made enemies, many enemies, even amongst the other Pillar houses due to their habit of stealing corpses of powerful beings to use their magic on... something that had lead to their apparent utter destruction.

Except for Nyra, who had clearly fled... and married a man who happened to have wards powerful enough to protect her from her family's enemies.

“Not quite, the Gäap family magic gave them power over Death, a power I inherited.” Kuro corrected calmly as Sirzechs paused in thought.

That made Kuro the last surviving member of not one, but two Pillar houses, though the Gäap lands had long since been claimed by different houses as was the case with all extinct houses.

“Hmm, and yet again I have never heard of a Gäap summoning the soul of a devil back from the abyss, something that would certainly have been documented as it disproves the long standing belief that there is no afterlife for our kind.” Sirzechs commented.

“Ever heard of Family Secrets, dumbass?” Izan scoffed, glaring at Grayfia. “If your sex doll hadn't barged her way into our private property then you still wouldn't have known, or were you hoping we were just gonna let that go?”

“Ah yes, that.” Sirzechs said calmly, taking a sip of the drink one of the Dantalion slaves had provided. “You have my utmost apologies and my assurance that I am willing to make amends for my Queen's actions against your family, but we have other matters to cover first.” Sirzechs said, still smiling.

He wanted to get as much information about Kuro as possible before he dealt with that particular problem.

“You better, I think we should just tell the fake Leviathan where she can shove her offer and go back to the castle if this is what we can expect, but the brat wants to hear you out first.” Izan said with a shrug.

Yes, that would be a bit of a problem. Serafall took her job seriously, and she already disliked Grayfia due to their... long rivalry going back to the civil war.

“For which, you have my thanks Lord Dantalion.” Sirzechs said with a nod towards the quieter Dantalion, getting a lazy nod back. “Firstly, in regards to the confrontation between you and the Knight of my sister earlier today, Yuuto Kiba has been taken back to the Underworld for disciplining and training from my mother, Lady Gremory, you have my word that he will not bother you again, and he will likely not return to Kuoh for...a considerable amount of time, my mother is a harsh taskmaster at the best of times. My father, Lord Gremory, is perfectly willing to make amends for his actions.”

Watching Kuro, he waited as he saw the mind behind the lazy eyes at work. He was used to dealing with intelligent but lazy people, and he took a brief moment to hope Kuro and Falbium never met.

“Lord Gremory has my thanks... but I think this is a matter best kept between myself and Rias, for her sake if nothing else.” Kuro said after a moment, making his eyebrows raise. “We are... fellow Kings working alongside one another, and I won't be able to respect her if she can't deal with her own issues without relying on her family after all.” Kuro explained as Sirzechs paused, thinking.

“I understand, I will pass your words onto my sister.” Sirzechs agreed with a slight smile. It would do Rias good to have to deal with this herself. Rias only really dealt with two of her peers, Sona who was her childhood friend, and Riser who she hated from day one.

It was part of the reason he decided to push Serafall to have Kuro come to Kuoh. Being in regular contact with a peer who was neither friend nor foe from the beginning would hopefully help her grow. Rias had been coddled and spoiled far too much growing up, and he had to admit he was the most guilty party.

That wouldn't stop him from keeping a very close eye on them though... not that he ever really took his eye of Rias, she was too cute to leave unsupervised, even if he gave her some space so she could enjoy the illusion of independence.

The simple truth was that neither Sona nor Rias would ever truly be left unattended, not when both he and Serafall had plenty of enemies who would happily target their little sisters to get to them. There had been several attempts to kidnap them over the years, and only one had ever gotten through.

Sona had been kidnapped from their family estate when she was a child in an attempt to blackmail Serafall, a plan that had proven successful for a brief time before his Knight, Okita had been able to track the kidnappers down and rescue Sona from them.

Their deaths at Serafall's hands had not been quick, and it certainly hadn't been painless.

Ever since then, both he and Serafall had made sure that their siblings were never truly unguarded, even pushing them to share a single town for the sake of making protecting them discretely easier.

“In that case, we shall move on. Secondly, Izan... the afterlife.” Sirzechs started making the ghost smirk.

"Wanna know what you should expect? Hoping for good news? Cause I haven't got any for you, all that's waiting for us devils is eternal suffering. My guess, Big G set up something to screw us over for the whole rebellion thing and never bothered to tell anyone. Merciful my ass, guys a cunt." Izan scoffed. "Hell is real, and it's a lot less pleasant than the Underworld. Can't tell you much more, didn't see anyone else there, it was just pain and suffering every day for what felt like an eternity, and you never get used to it... then the brat plucked me out of that shithole."

“I see.” Sirzechs said gravely, this was... not going to go over well with their people.

“Yup, sucks to be us.” Izan said with a shrug, smirking at the discomfort from him and Grayfia. “Pretty sure we all head that way, but I was a bit of a cunt when I was alive so maybe it was worse for me? Or not, it's not like there's a single devil out there that hasn't committed a sin or three.”

Ideally, he'd like to order Kuro to keep this secret, to not use the power he had gained from his Gäap heritage, but that wasn't really an option. Telling a Lord of a family to not use his family magic? If that ever got out even the families loyal to the new Satans would be up in arms.

He'd need to discuss this with the other Satans, soon.

“Not what I wanted to hear but the truth seldom is, you have my thanks.” Sirzechs said before turning back to Kuro. “Now, I have two more things to discuss with you today... what do you know of my sister's current predicament?"

“Just what I've been able to put together from news, and a rather amusing video of Rias throwing her drink at Riser. She's in an arranged marriage against her will and doesn't like her betrothed.” Kuro said, his lips twitching.

It was a rather amusing video, even if it had caused quite a bit of trouble.

“Indeed, this is... off the record, just an idle comment. I dislike Riser myself, he's a poor match for Rias, but as one of the Satans I cannot interfere in the affairs of two pillar houses, there would be... considerable consequences for it you understand, and my father is set on this course. As a Satan, I am a neutral party in this... but as a big brother? If you find a way to either directly or indirectly break the engagement, I will consider myself in your debt, and grant you one favour, anything within my power with no questions asked, and you'll find that having a Satan at your back is a powerful thing.” Sirzechs said casually, watching Kuro's eyes widen slightly before narrowing.

“I prefer having a Satan on her back, but the fake Lucifer ain't wrong... it's nice to have friends in high places.” Izan agreed after a moment.

“I highly doubt you've ever bedded a Satan.” Grayfia scoffed to herself, making Izan smirk entirely too triumphantly.

Interesting... that was a trap, but why?

“Good maids should be seen, and felt, but not heard, so keep those pouty lips sealed... and what do you mean I've never fucked a Satan? Are you telling me that you honestly didn't know that Leviathan was Kuro's grandmother?” Izan asked, far too innocently, everyone but him frozen in shock and confusion.

Even Kuro himself as he turned to his cackling Grandfather.

“Oh, right... I told Iaxes he was an unwanted bastard, so I guess you didn't know either brat? Welp, surprise, you're basically devil royalty.” Izan cackled to himself as Kuro glared at him.

“And you wait until now to tell me?” Kuro growled under his breath.

“Eh, I thought you knew to be honest, if you don't believe me just call my old cum-dump back from Hell and she can confirm she squirted that disappointment of a son out.” Izan said with a shrug. “I didn't even want the little bastard but... well, when you're fucking a crazy bitch like Levi, you should probably keep your dick in your pants cause she caught me fucking someone else while she was knocked up and she kinda lost her temper... hormonal psycho cut my nads off so I wasn't having any more kids and got stuck with Iaxes.” Izan admitted bluntly, shrugging to himself. “I'd say never stick your dick in crazy, but then no man would ever get laid cause all women are batshit insane.”

“No seriously, how the actual fuck did you survive as long as you did?”

As the two Dantalion's squabbled, Sirzechs's mind raced.

“If I recall correctly, Leviathan only had one child... a daughter named Tsufaame Tereaku Leviathan.” Sirzechs asked quickly, forcing down his growing excitement.

If Izan was telling the truth, he had just found his weapon to help destroy the Old Satan faction...

“That's still a stupid name, but Levi always sucked at naming stuff. It was twins, Iaxes who I took and Tsufaame who Levi kept, one heir for each family... clearly I got fucked scammed. She got a genius magician and I got a waste of seed. Oi brat, call Iaxes back to the land of the living so I can call him a fucking disappointment one last time.”

It would be easy enough to prove... Ajuka has samples from the original Satans in his lab, part of his research into why those four were so much more powerful than every other devil. Ajuka could compare the sample with a sample from Kuro and either prove or disprove Izan's claims... but if Kuro was really the grandson of the original Leviathan, that meant he had a better claim to the position than Katerea Leviathan, Tsufaame's daughter... and one of the leaders of the Old Satan faction.

Tsufaame was slain by Ajuka during the civil war, something that he decided to keep to himself. It was common enough knowledge, but it wasn't his job to tell Izan the fate of his daughter.

Despite how Izan and _Levi_ split the twins up, if it was twins of a different gender, then the male was the one to become the heir, and having the true heir of one of the original Satans support the New Satans would hurt the Old Satans severely... perhaps not enough to destroy their faction but at the very least it would pull away some of their support.

The ideal path was obvious, confirm Izan's claims and then have Kuro and Serafall marry, legitimising Serafall's position as the Leviathan in a way that the Old Satans would not be able to refute.

Of course that wasn't something he could arrange, but once the tests were complete... he could at least carefully approach Serafall about it. A political marriage was nothing if it stopped the budding civil war in its tracks.

“Such a claim isn't one that can be made without evidence, the bloodlines of the Original Satans are almost sacred to certain sects in the Underworld... but if you wish to claim your alleged Grandmothers bloodline, I can help you with that.” Sirzechs offered, turning to Kuro with a carefree smile. “My fellow Satan has samples from our predecessors, with a blood sample from you he will be able to prove or disprove your Grandfathers claims.”

“Giving my blood to Lucifer? Yup, can't see any way for that to end badly for me.” Kuro drawled, even as he rolled his eyes. Blood magic was a vampiric thing, despite the stories, there wasn't much a devil, even one as powerful as him, could do with a vial of blood.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small glass vial as the slightest hint of magic came from him, some kind of pocket dimension magic? He summoned that vial from somewhere else, though it wasn't a branch of magic he was familiar with.

Drawing a small dagger from his pocket, he slashed at his wrist with utter disinterest, letting the blood pour into the vial for a moment, filling it.

Putting his dagger away, he placed a stopper on the vial before he paused and ran a finger along the still bleeding cut on his wrist, smirking as his flesh shifted, fixing itself.

Healing magic? No, not quite, he hadn't simply undone the wound like Twilight Healing could have done, he simply... commanded his flesh to close the wound.

Kuro had quite the bag of tricks up his sleeves.

As Kuro tossed the vial across the table, he caught it with ease, pocketing the vial of scarlet liquid.

“I'll give this to Azazel later today, it's best we don't delay on this.” Sirzechs promised, he needed to know if Izan was just fucking with them as soon as possible, many plans would need changing with a more neutral heir to the Leviathan in play.

“Which leaves just one more thing before I can finally go to bed.” Kuro snarked, resting his head on his hand.

“Indeed, the actions of my own Queen.” Sirzechs said simply, turning to look at Grayfia as she fidgeted slightly. Most people wouldn't have been able to notice the slight hint of nervousness as Grayfia stared back at them, but most people hadn't known her as long as he had.

Grayfia was his Queen, the mother of his child, his maid and his wife... in that order. As his Queen, her actions affected him, she spoke with his voice and acted with his hands, and normally that was wonderful.

It was a busy life as a Satan, and having a trusted right hand to act on his behalf was a necessity, something Serafall really should learn as she would have an easier time if she actually chose a Peerage finally.

But Serafall was a prideful woman, and she refused to trust anyone else to do her job, assuming anyone but her would fail. It was why she was eternally busy, she insisted on doing everything herself.

But having a trusted right-hand wasn't always advantageous... the mistakes of his right hand were his own mistakes. Grayfia's trespass was the same as him trespassing, her indirect insult to Serafall's new pet project the same as him insulting Kuro to his face.

With Serafall paying so much attention to her new project, he couldn't afford to upset her by interfering in her recruitment of the Dantalion's, and that was ignoring the advantages for their race that came from bringing another house back into the fold, especially one with powers like the Dantalion wards. The Devil race needed the four Satans united, not squabbling.

But with the discovery of Kuro's possible heritage? It became essential that he soothed any ruffled feathers, before it became publicly known. He could already hear the Old Satans whispering into Kuro's ears, and he didn't want Grayfia's arrogance to give them the ammunition they needed to get the new lord on their side.

So there came times when he had to discipline his right hand, distancing himself from her actions and doing what was necessary for the greater good of his race.

“I have a suggestion on that matter, a way to discipline her for her forgetting her place while making amends to your house for her insult.” Sirzechs offered, watching as Grayfia's eyes widened ever so slightly, a hint of betrayal on her face.

This wasn't ideal, but Grayfia had placed him in an uncomfortable position... and this was her mistake, her arrogance insulting the wrong person. Family secrets were taken rather seriously amongst the Underworld, and barging into a family ritual was a rather serious crime.

One he couldn't afford to have the public realise his Queen had committed.

“Oh?” Kuro asked, sitting up a bit straighter as he turned his gaze to Grayfia, acknowledging her existence for the first time this meeting.

"My idea is simple, Grayfia shall serve the House Dantalion for two days a week, for the foreseeable future until she has worked off her crime. I can't be without my Queen all the time, but a couple of days a week is perfectly manageable. If you wish to discipline her, you may do so yourself, if not she can simply serve in her chosen role as a maid." Sirzechs suggested making Kuro's eyes widen, even as Grayfia let out a slight gasp.

Grayfia spent most of her time playing the maid, a role that she could afford to not do for a couple of days a week since they had other maids anyway, and his mother would happily watch Millicas for them.

He could feel the room grow just a hint colder, but he had decided already and he wouldn't be swayed. Grayfia had gotten herself into this mess, and if it was only affecting a single pillar house he would have used his considerable sway to get her out of it...

But this was a matter involving a house that hadn't rejoined the pillars yet, one of his fellow Satans and the Old Satans when they inevitably found out and rushed to either recruit Kuro or kill off the threat that he represented.

Having Grayfia in Kuoh on such a regular basis would help him keep his sister safe, keep an eye on Kuro and prevent the old Satans from approaching him. They would be hesitant to approach Kuro if they had no idea if Grayfia would be nearby, so changing up the days she served her sentence would delay their inevitable attempts at recruiting him.

Having the length of time be so... vague was deliberate, it meant he could simply decide that she had served enough after a couple of weeks if he decided to, specifically after he found out whether Kuro truly was a Leviathan or not, and he wouldn't be breaking his word.

“...I don't think she likes that idea.” Kuro pointed out, his lips twitching slightly.

“Few enjoy their punishment, but you don't have to worry about her, does he Grayfia?” Sirzechs asked, glancing back at her as she forced her scowl down, her face carved from stone as she stared back.

“If this is what my King requires, so be it.” Grayfia replied robotically, staring expressionlessly at Kuro, blatantly not looking at him.

Izan was suspiciously quiet, frankly he expected several lewd comments of how Grayfia could serve them by now, but the spectral figure was simply floating behind with a scheming smirk on his face.

“I suppose the bragging rights of having Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation serving me, even part-time, would be worth it alone... sure, why not?” Kuro drawled, leaning back in his chair.

"If you want to discipline the disobedient maid, I should still have Levi's favourite paddle back in the castle, I doubt anyone could ever break into the wards on my room, and that paddle can really sting, Levi was a beast and she still yelped like a lil bitch every time it came down on her perfect pale ass." Izan suggested, the room growing colder as he smirked at her.

As Izan suggested his grandson paddle Grayfia, both his Queen and Kuro glanced at him, Grayfia scowled and Kuro raising an eyebrow at his lack of a reaction.

“Your room is still sealed... as is the Wardcrafting workshop and store-room, the treasury and about half of the castle.” Kuro said with a half-glare making Izan pause, before he burst out laughing.

“Iaxes never managed to break those wards? They aren't even that fucking good, what a worthless twat. I just put those there to incentivise him to get better.”

“No, he didn't... which is why half the castle is inaccessible, you'll be fixing that.” Kuro warned, Izan's smirk fading before he shrugged.

"I'm dead, you'll have to fix it... but I can show you how, it's why you brought me back right? Teach you and I get spared the infernal fires of Hell." Izan said with a shrug.

“More or less. You can stay as long as you're more useful than you are annoying.” Kuro confirmed making Izan laugh.

“So ruthless, I like you more than the disappointment already.”

“I'm a devil, get used to it. Who would put up with you if you aren't useful?” Kuro pointed out, making Izan pause before nodding.

“That's fair. Big G knows Luci would have incinerated me a hundred times over if he didn't need my warding skills during the war.” Izan admitted with a casual shrug.

“As interesting as this is, I am a busy man, and with everything dealt with I do believe it is time for me to take my leave.” Sirzechs said as he rose. “Grayfia, I will watch Millicas myself tomorrow, I do have a rare day off and it will be nice to enjoy some rare father-son bonding time, and I will speak to my mother about watching him while you are otherwise busy in the future, I don't like leaving him in the hands of the maids after all, being raised by maids is how you get devils like Riser after all.” Sirzechs said as he gave his wife one last stern look, getting a stony nod back from her. “Lord Dantalion, it was a true pleasure to meet someone as reasonable as you.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Lord Lucifer. I hope you enjoy your father-son bonding more than I expect I'm going to enjoy my grandfather-grandson bonding.” Kuro snarked as Sirzechs rose, giving off a laugh.

Izan would make a fine mentor in his art, there was no denying that, but he didn't envy Kuro for having to spend a large amount of time with him.

**\- Kuro -**

“Izan, I get the feeling you're just going to make things worse if you stick around so go float somewhere else, the wards won't let you leave the estate but you can go anywhere within it.” I say after Sirzechs teleports away, leaving his less than pleased wife behind.

Izan grumbles but floats through the ceiling regardless.

I know she's going to be spying on me, but I have to admit I didn't expect him to simply throw her under the bus like that... the Satan Lucifer is as ruthless as his name suggests.

**Quest Received**

**[Break the Engagement] – Quest Giver: Sirzechs Lucifer**

**Sirzechs doesn't approve of his sister's betrothal to Riser Phenex, but he cannot break the engagement himself without unpleasant consequences. That's where you come in.**

**Objective: Stop the marriage between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex by any means necessary.**

**Reward: A Favour from Sirzechs Lucifer, Additional rewards available based on the method of completion.**

Hm.

I could just ignore this, but a favour from a man like Sirzechs could be a powerful thing down the line.

I'll keep it in mind, if I find a way to break the engagement easily, I'll consider it.

But now... what to do about you.

Staring at Grayfia as her silver eyes drill into my skull, I wait a moment to see if she'll react before realising she seems content to simply stare me down forever.

"I'm curious, are you actually going to follow any of my orders?" I ask after a moment of awkward silence, making her scoff to herself, glaring at me still.

“My king has made his decision, if the wishes for me to go through this punishment then so be it.” Grayfia replied, her tone clipped as she side-stepped the question.

Rising from my own chair, I walk around the table and approach the silver-haired woman slowly, stopped just in front of her as I stare at her, slightly proud that we are at eye-level.

“I asked you a simple question, are you going to do as you are told?” I ask staring into her eyes as they narrow, I can hear her teeth grit together as the icy air brushes against my skin.

It's easy to tell when Grayfia is angry, the entire room drops several degrees.

“...yes.” Grayfia finally bites out, the room becoming uncomfortably cold, even for me.

And I'm a necromancer who grew up in the middle of a frozen wasteland.

“Hmm, that's good.” I say calmly, Grayfia's obedience to her king gives me a safety net dealing with her, otherwise I'd not want to be in the same realm as her while she is this... displeased.

"Very little about this is good." Grayfia spits out as I chuckle, reaching up and running my hand along one of her silver braids, tied at the bottom with cute blue bows. Her hair is insanely silky... I wonder if it is a devil thing or she simply pays a lot of attention to it.

“And if I decide to discipline you, will you accept that as well?” I ask, watching her eyes narrow to angry slits.

“I... will.” Grayfia sneers at me, speaking slowly.

This is an opportunity.

One that could end with me dead, but an opportunity all the same.

Grayfia Lucifuge is one of the strongest women in DxD as far as I know, certainly one of the strongest female devils, and right now she has been put at my beck and call.

But this has its limits, and I obviously can't trust her... at the moment.

But I have a handy relationship tracker telling me exactly how much people like me... and more importantly, how obedient they are.

**Grayfia Lucifuge, The Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation**

**LVL – ???**

**Faction – The Seventy-Two Pillars**

**Role – Maid, Queen**

**Race – Pureblood Devil**

**Thoughts – Anger, Humiliation, Betrayal, Disgust**

**Affection – -40  
Obedience – 10 **

Right now, she isn't obedient to me and she really doesn't like me. That should be obvious, she is willing to obey me purely because she's following Sirzechs's orders, and that is to be expected...

But she's feeling betrayed, she has been pulled out of her comfort zone and that gives me an opportunity.

Can I steal Grayfia from under Sirzechs?  
  
It's insane, suicidal... but looking at her I can only think one simple thing.

I want her.

When I got the drawback Kleptomania, I assumed it would be items that I would long for, but... it isn't. I _need_ Grayfia, not just on some temporary basis that Sirzechs can end whenever he wants, but I want Grayfia to be mine...

_And mine alone._

Enough to risk the wrath of the Satan Lucifer for her.

“I see, but words are cheap. You are a very prideful woman, and you are so much stronger than me it is unreal. It must grate your pride to be ordered to obey someone as weak as me” I admit, watching her pause. “I want... proof you mean what you say. Follow me.” I order, enjoying the thrill of commanding a woman so powerful.

Heading to the far more comfortable living room, I take a seat on the cosy chair and stare at her as she trails behind me.

"Before we confirm your... willingness to take part in your punishment, I do have a question for you." I say as she stands in front of me, staring down at me with a look of disgust. "What do you think of this betrothal between Rias and Riser?" I ask, making her pause. "I'm curious about your opinion on it before I decide what I want to do about your lords offer."

“I think Rias is simply being immature, the alliance between the Gremory and Phenex houses is more important than her childish desire for a fairy-tale romance, she is the Heiress of her family and she has responsibilities that she avoids as much as possible, playing student in the human world instead.” Grayfia says after a moment of thought. “The rumour floating around that the marriage was arranged to produce a new Satan-Class Devil with the Power of Destruction and Regeneration is ridiculous, simply getting pregnant is hard enough for devils who are happily married, and devil genes are unpredictable at the best of times, it could take centuries before Rias is pregnant and there is no guarantee the child would have any of the bloodline powers let alone all of them.” she continues, almost talking to herself.

“So, you think the marriage should go through?” I ask, interrupting her rant. “Rias seems to disagree.”

“Hmm. I do love Rias, she's my adorable sister-in-law and I've watched her grow into a beautiful young woman... but she is incredibly lazy and irresponsible, if she was willing to truly try and escape the marriage she would have done so already, but she instead sits around playing human while she waits for someone else to save her. I hoped the upcoming marriage would push her to train harder but she barely trains at all. Sirzechs has spoiled her ever since the day she was born, and it has made her far too used to simply getting her way without lifting a finger, I think this could serve as a good lesson for her, but I don't believe it will go through regardless. Rias will find herself unable to escape her engagement because she slacked off too much, she'll go crying to Sirzechs and he won't be able to resist getting involved and having the whole thing called off, the Phenex's will be offended, the alliance will be ruined and Rias will get her way.” Grayfia says calmly. “So I doubt it will make a difference if you get involved or not.”

“I see, I appreciate your input.” I say calmly, thinking to myself.

I'm going to grab Issei soon, I can't leave Boosted Gear where it can be grabbed by anyone, and that will derail basically the entire plot making what little I know of this world useless.

Not that I haven't already done that by simply existing.

Without Issei, the power of friendship and more plot-armour than an Uchiha, Rias won't be able to escape her marriage on her own, but Grayfia would know better than me about how this will go and she thinks Rias will get out regardless.

But... if I am the one to supply the means of her escape, Sirzechs owes me a favour and Rias will be in my debt. On the other hand, I'll have made Riser an enemy and Riser... exists?

What happens to Riser after the wedding? He just kind fucks off and isn't really mentioned again.

Simply nodding, Grayfia remains still as she stares down at me, her mind taken off her situation for just a moment.

“So, now to make sure you actually meant what you said.” I say as her glare returns.

“...what would you have me do?” Grayfia grounds out as I smile to myself.

I want those ruby red lips wrapped around my cock, I want to see what Izan was talking about when he said it was amazing to get a blowjob from someone who disliked you, but Izan is a fucking idiot and it got him killed.

I need to take this in small steps instead of rushing to the finish line.

**\- Grayfia -**

This was ridiculous.

“I have a few ideas, and I can't decide between them.” Kuro said calmly, shrugging lazily as he smiled up at her. “So I'll let you pick one.”

She could understand Sirzechs's reasoning, for someone who had known him so long he may have well explained it all out loud, but that didn't stop her from feeling betrayed at how easily Sirzechs decided her punishment.

He could have easily pushed for something light, but he realised he could use this to protect Rias and keep an eye on the new Lord Dantalion at the same time and jumped at the chance.

“And what would they be?” Grayfia said, trying to hold in her sneer.

It was her pride that got her in this mess, and it was her pride that would keep her in it if she lost her temper and made matters worse.

“Like I said, I have a few options. First option, I want you to kiss me.” Kuro said simply as she scowled. “Not a little peck either, a proper kiss.” he explained as she gave him her most unamused look.

“What else?” she asked, ignoring the way his eyes moved to her lips.

“Second, you can stand still and let me touch you. Just for a minute or two.”

Of course. He was a teenage devil who had just been given permission to order her around.

“Keep going.”

The options weren't going to get any better, but she wanted to hear her choices. Sometimes, there were downsides to being married to a Satan, to her king, because there was always the chance he would decide to put his responsibilities to their race above his responsibilities as a husband. She normally admired his dedication to their race, but it was hard to keep that in mind while she was under the command of a mere child.

“Finally, you can lift up your skirt and hold it in place. That's all, easy right?” he asked as she paused.

It wasn't a good option, but it was one that didn't result in him touching her... or her touching him.

Reaching down, she grasped at her skirt with both hands, gripping the cloth tightly as she slowly started to pull, lifting it.

She realised she was giving him a better show by doing it slowly, exposing her long legs, covered by her white lace stockings, but she couldn't bring herself to speed up, to rush to obey his orders.

As she continued lifting, her skirt rose above milky white thighs, drawing Kuro's gaze as he smirked at her almost triumphantly. Why wouldn't he, here she was... the strongest Queen, slowly exposing herself on his orders.

How pathetic.

Finally pulled above her waist, she stared at him challengingly as he took a long stare at her tiny white panties.

“Hmm, turn around.” Kuro ordered after a moment, staring at her barely covered mount as she let out a quiet growl to herself and spun on the spot. “Very nice, honestly I didn't think you'd do it.” Kuro admitted as he stared at her large ass, her butt cheeks almost devouring her thong, almost completely hiding it as he admired her assets.

“My king has made his orders clear.” Grayfia said slowly, not looking back at him.

“Hmm, perhaps I'll have to look into this magical paddle of Izan's.” Kuro muttered as she glared at the wall in front of her. “You can stop now, why don't you go and pick a room to use while you are here?” Kuro said after a moment, watching as she immediately dropped her skirt again.

  
“As you wish... my lord.” Grayfia growled out, staring him down.

Her pride needed to be set aside, she didn't want to think of the punishment she would have forced on her if she let it get her into more trouble.

“Oh, I like that...” Kuro chuckled as she left.

Of course he did.

**\- Kuro -**

**+5 Obedience with Grayfia [15/100]**

It's going to be a long term project... but damn if I'm not going to enjoy the journey.

Now that she's away... I do have work to do however.

Opening up the map, I change my equipment into something easier to move in and leave the house.

It's a bit of a journey into the city, now covered in darkness as the cloud-cloaked moonlight and dim street lamps fail to properly illuminate the streets, but I arrive quickly letting out a groan as I read the sign outside the house.

Hyoudou.

Of course Issei has a Dungeon in his backyard.

Hopping over the wall, I take a moment to appreciate how nice it is to have wings as I head into the back garden of the surprisingly nice house.

The backyard is almost completely normal... with the exception of two things that stood out.

One, the small hole in the fence on the right side of the house, looking into the neighbours garden, and two... the way the trunk of the large tree in the back corner of the house splits open to expose a glowing green portal.

...can normal people just not see that?

**Only you and those you chose can see the portals to the dungeons, master.**

Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks, Isis.

**ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ**

I've been wondering how I was going to get my horde from place to place, moving a single naga through the city is easy, they stick to the shadows, blend in and slither around out of sight... trying to get ten ghouls around without being noticed is a bit more difficult.

But I have learnt a little trick, I can make portals to my lair from basically anywhere... and I can add doors to my lair anywhere.

So all I had to do was make a door to my lair in the estate, then have all my horde enter it and wait for me to open the portal in the dungeon, which I can do as long as I'm not in combat and I am in the starting area from my tests.

Heading into the portal, I blink as I look around my new surroundings, with it being so close to Issei I would have assumed it had something to do with Dragons (which is why I am absolutely prepared to run the moment things go wrong)... but looking around I realise I was wrong.

The forest around me is so thick I can barely see through the trees as I open the portal to my lair, twenty abominations pouring out and preparing for combat.

But while I can't see much... I can hear plenty.

So why the fuck can I hear what sounds like a party?

I can hear chanting, singing and cheering in the distance, along with the occasional sounds of metal clashing against metal. I can even smell... blood, over-cooked meat and what I think is some kind of alcohol, it's certainly no wine though.

Nodding to my nagas, I watch as they slither through the dark underbrush towards the noise.

Guess we're crashing a party tonight.

Getting my ghouls to follow a bit behind, I start moving myself, crouching as I slowly walk towards the noise, keeping to the bushes and trees to hide myself from the revellers.

The moment the camp comes into sight, I watch with bemused eyes as the green-skinned horde party the night away, feasting, fighting and fucking I sigh.

Well, at least they aren't resistant to physical damage?

Time to spoil the celebrations.

**\- The Spirit -**

Betrayal.

It was that which stung the most, even as her body was hacked apart by her family blade and impaled with shards of glass as she was thrown throw a window, her body breaking as she hit the ground.

She had given everything to help her family, worked three part-time jobs while in university in the vain hope of helping her family with the medical bills her mothers illness had brought upon them.

She had no free time, working or studying all day, every day, but she never felt bitter or resentful as she tried to help those she loved.

Her reward was coming home to find her father standing other her beloved mother, her blood coating him as he slashed again and again at her unmoving corpse.

She'd tried to run, she hadn't gotten far.

To add to his dishonour, once he finished chopping her body to pieces, he ended his own life, hanging himself from the tree she used to climb when she was a child, shaming their family forever as he ended the line of Yamaoka.

Even as her body was taken away, her spirit lingered in the estate her family had fought to keep for centuries, even as run down as it had become from their impoverished state.

She'd remained silent even as outsiders came, watched as they repaired the rotting building, achieving in days what her family had failed to do in years, and then they left again.

And then another set of outsiders approached, and these ones had no desire to leave as the pale man, her own age, made his home in her ancestral estate, claiming the master bedroom for himself as he brought his... creatures to guard the estate.

But this was her home, her lands, and she would not allow an outsider to claim it for his own.

Reaching down, she gripped the spectral katana still protruding from her body and pulled it out, letting out an ear-piercing screech.

Lunging through the walls, she found her first target.

The other spirit invading her territory.

  
“Huh? Wait what the fu-” Izan shouted as the Spirit impaled him with her blade. “This is... some fucking... bullshit. Where's my ghost sword?”

Pulling her blade out of his chest, the Spirit let out another screech as she slashed at him again, severing his head from his spectral body, watching as he faded from this realm.

**\- Bonus Scene – Training a Wayward Knight -**

"You may not like this simple truth, but it is one that you will have to come to accept." Venelana stated calmly as she stared into the glaring eyes of her daughters rebellious Knight. "You will never destroy the Excalibur Swords."

“I WILL! I have to!” Kiba growled back, a fanatical hatred filling his glare.

"No, you will not. The Excalibur Swords are one of the most sacred and important relics the Church has, and the destruction of even one of them at the hands of a devil would start the great war back up again. Your vengeance is far less important than the thousands of lives who would die in the aftermath, you would be hunted down and slain by the most powerful Angels and exorcists were you to manage to destroy even a single one of the blades, it is more than likely that Rias and the rest of her peerage would die as collateral."

Watching the slight flinch, Venelana sighed.

  
She was very good at reading people, it was a trait she had learnt after hundreds of years as the Lady of the house Gremory.

“Were it not for Rias, you would have died all those years ago... in fact you did die. Do you intend to repay her kindness with betrayal and prove her the fool many devils believe she is for treating you and the rest of her peerage as family?” Venelana asked bluntly, in his current state subtleties would be lost on him regardless.

“I- my friends gave their very lives so I could escape, I have to avenge them.” Kiba said weakly, not answering the question. “The Project, the Swords... I have to destroy them.”

“They gave their lives so you could live, not throw away that same life in a futile attempt at revenge. All you would achieve is making their sacrifice pointless.” Venelana countered, remaining blunt as Kiba flinched as if struck. “You are free to move around the estate when you are not training or being disciplined for your actions, but if you attempt to leave the estate you will be declared a stray devil... and hunted down like one.” Venelana said, her tone completely cold as she stared him down, seeing the growing horror on his face. “Lady Leviathan has placed a tracking spell on you, and she will know if you leave the perimeter. She was... less than pleased at your actions, and while Rias would be heartbroken it wouldn't save you.”

“But-”

“But nothing, you will go to your room and await Okita. She was less than pleased to hear of you endangering your master through your rash actions.” Venelana said with a hint of amusement as she watched him pale, leaving the room.

As he did, she took a moment to sigh deeply.

She had told Rias, over and over again, that she needed to help her peerage heal from their problems properly, there was only so much that cuddles and mollycoddling could help with.

She loved her daughter, but Rias was... incredibly stubborn, not to mention extremely lazy, and when she set her mind to something it was almost impossible to change it, especially when admitting she was wrong would result in her actually having to put in any effort.

She hoped this would be a wake-up call for Rias, to start dealing with both Akeno's hatred of Fallen (including herself), Koneko's fear of her heritage and Gaspers fear of... well, seemingly everything outside his room.

But she rather doubted it.

Clearly she needed to keep an eye on both her daughter and her peerage from now on.

**Authors Note: I've stopped saying what story I will be updating next because frankly I don't even know any more, I'm just going to work on what I feel like working on from now on.**

**Things are going to be a bit... weird for a while, my country is going back into lock down but it looks like I'll be working through it despite the very high risk level in my area, so I'm kinda worried to be honest.**


	6. The Start of the Horde

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 06: The Start of the Horde**

Staring at the camp of goblins, I pause for a moment.

They have no idea we are here, sure there are a few lookouts but half the camp are too drunk to bother looking into the incredibly dark forest. My naga have amazing night vision, being able to see as well in the pitch black forest as they can in the day... but my own night vision isn't quite as good as theirs unfortunately, maybe it is time to look into some upgrades for myself...

Though the problem with being a devil is that it is hard to find any parts that are better than what I already have.

The point remains though.. these revellers aren't expecting an attack, even the lookouts aren't really paying attention.

I could have my ghouls charge the encampment while my naga snipe the ranged units... but even drunk and distracted they outnumber us a dozen to one.

I have fifteen ghouls and ten nagas, plus my own magic.

There are hundreds of goblins in the camp, and along with at least a dozen orcs, all armed and ready for battle. There's also a large tent in the back of the camp that is definitely hiding a boss fight.

If we rush in there it is gonna be a slaughter, I have no doubts we would win but at what cost? How many of my own abominations would fall before we finish the fight?  
  


I don't have so many resources that I can just afford to toss my abominations away so easily.

Which means it's time to play this smart.

Fighting fair is for suckers.

**\- Miza -**

Miza wasn't happy.

The celebration of the new War Chieftess Mazoga's victory was going strong, even in the little outpost she was stuck at, and yet she was stuck on guard duty, not even allowed a bit of grog.

So what if she decided to pocket one of the shiny stones that was suppose to be going as tribute to the new boss, it was just one and there were dozens of them.

Honestly, it was a complete over reaction to ban her from the fun over a single shiny stone.

Well, a few shiny stones when they followed her back to her stash.

...and a few weapons, some gold, her stash of fancy grog (which that bastard bugbear was currently drinking), and the rest of her things.

She didn't even steal all of them! She was a scout, she scouted! It was her job to look around and who cared if she forgot to mention some of the shinier stuff she found in the forest.

She should have been given a pat on the back for her hard work and dedication to scouting, not punished!

Instead she got her stash taken away by the fat bugbear who was in charge of their camp now, she got whipped until her back bled for _stealing_ , and then she was ordered to sit on the watch tower and keep an eye out for trouble.

Naturally she ignored that completely as she snuck off to one of the more secluded corners of the camp, checking her other stash to make sure all her thingies were still were still there.

After making sure all her shiny coins, her jewels and her favourite dagger was still in place, she snuck back to her post to find a nice spot she could take a nap.

There were other goblins on lookout duty, but they weren't being punished so they all had grog, they'd be too drunk to notice she wasn't doing her job soon enough.

Climbing back to the top of the tower, she paused as she reached the top, staring at the unmoving goblin slouched against the wall.

Moving closer, she prodded the unmoving goblin, watching as he toppled over falling face down.

Huh.

She'd seen her kind get so drunk they were dead to the world, but she'd never seen someone get so drunk they actually died though.

Taking a moment to empty his pockets, she paused as she spotted the two small bleeding pin-pricks on his neck, the veins around the bite blackened.

That was probably bad.

It wasn't like someone dying at a party was really a surprise, she watched her friend Lezea put her axe through a drunken orcs skull earlier for trying to bend her over.

Dunno why, if Lezea didn't want so many guys trying to pound her ass maybe she should wear more than some leather straps? It was why she wore actual trousers, even if the leather pants were incredibly tight... but barbarians were never the smartest bunch anyway and Lezea refused to wear more than her leather underwear. One day, someone bigger and stronger than her was gonna decide he wanted her big booty and she wouldn't be able to just bash their skulls in, especially if she really wanted to get sent to the main war camp.

  
She was lucky the fat bugbear they had to call chief now had a thing for humie girls, if they hadn't captured some of the Northling women on their last raid then she'd probably be the one entertaining the chief tonight.

Plus, there'd be killing over girls, killing over food, killing over grog, killing was just normal around here.

If she'd found this guy with a dagger in his chest she'd have tossed him off the tower and called it a day, but the biting was probably a bad thing right?

It wasn't one of those bloodsuckers, they didn't leave those weird black lines and the bodies were always more pale, this was done by something venomous. It's fang were too far apart for it to be one of the snakes that you could find around here.

She might not be the most responsible goblin, but she was good at her job.

Standing up, she looked around the other towers with a furrowed brow, realising she couldn't see a single goblin in any of them.

That was definitely bad.

Looking back to the party, she frowned as she saw nothing out of the ordinary, people were drinking, eating and fucking like all was right with the world.

Looking at the war horn that would tell the lazy fuckers to grab their weapons and get ready to fight, she paused as her sensitive ears picked up the slightest hissing behind her, turning around very slowly.

Admittedly, she never paid that much attention to all the newcomers coming and going from their camp, but even she would have noticed if some giant snake ladies joined them.

She'd heard they had Drow, Orges, Trolls and even some Tieflings and a Hag, but whatever the hissing woman currently sizing her up was, she didn't know.

The funny thing about Goblins and Goblinoids, even if some of the 'superior' Goblinoids like Hobgoblins, Orcs and Bugbears would deny it, was that they were all fucking cowards at heart.

They were cruel and ruthless to those weaker than them, but when they were faced with something stronger without a dozen other goblins to back them up they broke faster than an elf girl on a orc dick.

Throwing her two daggers to the side as fast as she could, she threw herself to the ground, slamming her head into the cold stone.

Did that thing speak goblin? Probably not. Did it speak common? She didn't have a clue.

So she was going with the universal sign for please don't eat me as she prostrated herself in front of the creature, keeping her head down against the floor for a moment as she waited to see if it would strike.

She wasn't a fighter at the best of times, and that thing was literally twice her size.

Taking a chance, she peeked up into the almost glowing yellow eyes staring down at her, seeing the intelligence behind them as it considered what to do.

After a moment, it slithered away after giving her a warning glare, taking a moment to grab the war horn and break it before it slithered away.

Slowly standing up, she looked over at the next tower, her violet eyes widening as she spotted more of the snake women staring down at the party with malevolent eyes.

Pausing for a moment, she quickly thought of the best route back to her remaining stash then out of the camp, she'd have to tell one of the other camps about the tragic attack later. Lucky she was out on scouting duties when it happened so she could warn the others about the scary snake people attacking them.

Pausing, she glanced back down towards the camp with a sigh.

She could piss on the graves of pretty much every single person in this camp, it was every goblin for themselves after all... but Lezea had always looked out for her, and Lezea was one of those rare goblins that actually had a backbone and she wouldn't do the smart thing and run for the hills.

Sighing to herself, she started making a new plan.

This is why having friends sucked.

**\- Kuro -**

As I stop looking through Gadgets eyes, I smile to myself.

  
Step one, complete.

I had one of my nagas carry her up on top of one of the towers (after dealing with the goblin in it first), giving me a birds eye view of the camp.

Every lookout has been dealt with, my nagas easily sneaking up on the drunken fools and poisoning them, or just slitting their throats.

With that done, I send my next order and have my ghouls move up towards the camp. There are what look like kennels towards one side of the camp but they are empty so they don't have any hounds... or worse to sniff us out.

Fortunately, the camp 'walls' are pretty crappy, as expected of the first zone of the dungeon, and they have multiple places were my abominations can get in, so I have them gather against one of the walls on the far side, a bit away from where most of the revellers are gathered.

My naga have hidden themselves in the towers so they'll have cover to fire from when it is time for them to rain arrows down on the orcs and goblins, they've taught themselves a new trick... using their venom to coat their blades and arrows.

They keep impressing me, proving to be far more cunning than I'd expect. My ghouls are far more mindless, they like tearing things to pieces and that's about everything. It works for them.

When I give the word, my naga will start raining poisoned arrows down on the orcs while my ghouls charge in and start tearing everything they can get their claws on limb from limb.

Releasing my wings, I take a moment to fly up into the night sky, Flying is a pleasant feeling, but now isn't the time to enjoy this and ruin the ambush so I quickly land atop one of the towers.

Now then... time for step two.

These greenskins aren't quite as… united as the undead from the last dungeon, through Gadgets eyes I've already seen them turn on each other on the slightest provocation, and that is where my second stage comes in.

First things first, time to put the odds in my favour when whoever is in that big ass tent decides to come out and see what is going on.

You see, I've learnt a few tricks about my powers as well and one trick I've learnt is very simple... I can cast my curses through Gadget or my other skeletal rats while I'm looking through their eyes.

And who is paying attention to a tiny rat like Gadget during a party like this?

Taking control of her, I guide her through the camp, sticking to the shadows and scurrying under things to avoid being spotted as we make our way to the main tent, peeking inside.

The moment I do I am filled with regret as my sight is filled with the hairiest ass I have ever had the misfortune of seeing.

I was expecting a big orc chief, but that thing? That's no fucking orc.

Around eight foot tall and probably half as wide the beast is covered in thick brown fur, and currently rutting into a heavily bleeding human girl. Where did they get a human? I can barely see her around the hairy fucker but I can see she isn't Asian, I'd say she's... Scandinavian at a guess, so not someone from Kuoh.

  
So where did the big guy find her?

**Khath, the Newly Appointed Chief**

**Race – Bugbear**

**Level – 29**

**Alignment – Chaotic Evil**

And I've found the camp boss, now I just need to kill the big bastard.

He's only... basically double my level, with surprisingly high stats. Well, high physical stats.

Basically, a muscle head who could probably kick my ass.

And that's why I'm going to win this.

Biting the flap of the tent, I cast my curse through Gadget and scurry back into the camp.

Now then, time to start some chaos.

The Curse of Hallucination basically gives me control over the senses of the poor fucker that triggers it, and while an intelligent person could realise they were hallucinating and shake it off or a magically attuned person could dispel the curse... this lot are drunk and really, they're fucking goblins.

And If I can't outsmart a goblin then what am I doing with my life?

Having Gadget move towards one of the orcs, I cast the curse of hallucination on the seat he is sat on, smiling as it triggers almost immediately.

This big guy has been downing their foul smelling drink by the barrel, and he isn't the most even tempered since I watched him decapitate a goblin for bumping into him a few minutes ago...

So when he starts hearing whispered insults and seeing people looking at him and sniggering?

It's difficult to get the insults right, they speak a strange language after all, but I have the power of devil bullshit on my side and I've been watching the party for quite some time.

“Still think you're funny, you fucking midget!?” my victim hollers as he smashes his warhammer down onto the unmoving corpse of a goblin that made the fatal error of being in his general vicinity, the rest of the camp staring at him with confusion at his outburst. “Anyone else think they can mock me?!”

Hmm, actually yes, I think there is.

As he swivels around, he glares hatefully at another of the orcs, making him look behind him in confusion, trying to work out what the fuck is going on even as the hallucinating fool charges him.

As the camp bursts into panicked shouting, I smile to myself and watch the chaos from my spot on the watchtower, even as Gadget curses a few more things in the chaos before she flees and leaves the camp through a hole in the fence.

I need to keep her close so I don't get stuck with that damnable debuff.

Making a goblin hallucinate that the goblin closest to him is running at him with a dagger drawn, I smile as he immediately responds by grabbing his own axe and slashing at him without a second of hesitation.

Throughout the camp, the same sight repeats itself as random goblins suddenly think they are under attack, and respond in kind.

Sitting on the watchtower fence, I calmly wait for someone to notice me.

Am I being over dramatic? Possibly, but these guys have gained my attention.

I came here expecting hordes of mindless enemies to slaughter, instead I think I found a society inside this dungeon and that has garnered my interest.

Isis is clearly generous over what counts as 'my kill' for exp, as every death my curses cause gives me some progress towards my next level.

**Well, they did die as a direct result of your actions. Just because you made some dumb orc do the heavy lifting doesn't change that fact, Master.**

And I appreciate it, I have played way too many games that wouldn't have counted that.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OUT HERE?!”

And there is my boss battle, pushing his way out of his tent with nothing but a loincloth on as he glares around the camp, a greatsword held in one hand.

Making everyone under my curse hallucinate once again, I make them all see the same thing.

The bugbear warping, bursting into flames as his fur burns off and is replaced with red skin covered in runes, leathery black wings sprouting from his back as horns burst from his skull.

The goblins take one look at the demon that replaced their boss and act more or less exactly as I expected them to.

As they flee the camp, I have my naga wait for them to move out of sight before they shoot them down, but the Orc?

  
He surprises me by charging straight at the bugbear, letting out a war cry as he leaps at him, his hammer swinging at the bugbears skull.

The Bugbear surprises me more as his retaliation is swift and brutal, almost calmly slashing at the orc with a diagonal cut, cleaving him open from the shoulder to the stomach.

Staring at the orc in front of him, he scowls in confusion as he pulls his blade back, staring at it with a strange frown.

“Someone wanna explain what the fuck is going on?!” Khath growls, glaring over the gathered horde, goblins and orcs looking around almost nervously as they wait for someone else to speak.

Since I hate awkward silences, I do my best to help out as we start stage three.

The slaughter.

Giving the signal, all my nagas rise from their hiding places and start firing their poisoned arrows at the orcs.

Need to pick off the strong ones so my ghouls can make quick work of the goblins.

As for the boss?

Looking down at him as he glares up at us, I smirk and hold my hand towards summoning a ghostly skeletal hand that flies down and grips the Bugbears shoulder, making him roar in pain as he reaches up and tears it off, tossing it to the side, the flesh it was gripping blackened.

Aww, he got rid of it.

...sending several more down towards him I take a moment to enjoy being on the opposite side of the equation.

I couldn't beat the ghosts because they were immune to everything I could do... but here? As the orcs start to fall and the goblins run for cover from the rain of arrows, all the leader can do is roar at me.

A greatsword isn't that useful when your opponent is sitting on top of a tower raining spells down on you.

Honour is for fools and corpses.

**\- Miza -**

She should be half way through the forest by now.

Instead she was crawling though the camp, ducking between cover to cover as she hoped the angry snake ladies decided she wasn't worth shooting at.

Spotting Lezea taking cover behind a wall, an arrow sticking out of it she sighed.

Of course the meathead would be in the middle of the chaos, clutching her axe in one hand as she glared around her cover, probably trying to work out the best way to get up there and start fighting back.

Dumbass.

Which made her the bigger dumbass, since she knew it was time to go and she was still here.

Taking a deep breath, she ran from behind the crate she was using to cover and dove to the same wall Lezea was hiding behind, getting her attention.

“Yeah, yeah, I suck at being a lookout. We need to be gone, ten minutes ago.” Miza said quickly, grabbing her friends arm making her scowl.

“Run? While we are under attack?!” Lezea growled back making her roll her eyes.

“Yup, we're goblins remember? Running away is in our blood.” Miza pointed out, before sighing as she saw she wasn't getting through to her. “Fine, call it a tactical retreat from a battle we ain't winning, someone needs to warn the new War Chieftess about the new invaders, you always wanted to head up to the main camp right? Mazoga seems like a smart boss, she'll want to know about this.”

As Lezea frowned, she went to continue persuading her friend of the benefits of not being eaten by snake women, a bellow made them both turn.

“Come down here and face me like a man you fucking coward!” Khath hollered up at the flying figure who had been raining firebolts and skeletal hands down at him.

Yeah, like he'd be dumb enough to give up an advantage like...

Huh, he actually came down.

Today was just weird.

**\- Kuro -**

This is a terrible idea.

Why would I ever fight someone stronger and faster than me in a fair fight?

Well, because I'm a drama queen apparently.

Signalling my ghouls, I have them enter the camp and wait as I fly down and land in front of them as we walk towards the Bugbear, the goblins pausing as they watch. The few orcs that survived the initial chaos were quickly culled by my nagas, their larger size simply making them an easier target.

I'm not just doing this for style points, though I have to admit it does feel pretty badass to simply walk into the camp with my horde at my back, stepping over the corpses of the fallen.

**Dungeon Quest**

**[The Greenskin Encampment]**

**Objective 1: Destroy the Goblin Camp**

**Objective 2: Slay the Bugbear Chief**

**Optional Objective: Subjugate the Encampment instead of Destroying it**

**Optional Objective: Defeat the Bugbear Chief in a Duel**

**Hidden Objective: ???**

**Hidden Objective: ???**

Subjugation.

To bring something under the domination or control, especially by conquest.

I can conquer the dungeon.

I have no idea what this does.

But, if I never try I will never know, and frankly Kuoh has dungeons to spare so I can afford to try something different with this one and simply check out the others to see how easy they are to grind.

The point stands, I want to see what it does, and that means I need to make these people surrender, plus I want the reward for beating the boss in a duel.

Nothing motivates me more than extra stuff.

Of course, he is far stronger than me, I'm not a strength build character after all, I'm a caster... but I think I can handle this.

If not? Well, there are ten nagas currently aiming poisoned arrows down at him, and my ghouls will go on a rampage at my command.

There is some risk to me, depending on just how fast things go south, but the risk is worth the potential rewards, besides... I've already tipped the scales in my favour.

“You... came down?” the Bugbear asks, seeming as surprised as I am that I'm actually willing to give him a chance.

“I know, surprising isn't it?” I ask as I walk towards him, a circle forming in the middle of the camp, both goblins and ghouls surrounding us but also giving us some space. “Why don't you save us both some trouble and surrender to me now, I'm perfectly willing to spare you if you swear your loyalty to me, Khath.” I offer calmly, smiling at him.

“You've got balls, whatever the fuck you are, but the War Chieftess is gonna rip them off, assuming I leave that much left for her.” Khath scoffs, gripping his greatsword in two hands.

“Honestly, think for a moment. Why would I ever come down to your level if there was even the slightest chance you could best me? It takes more than a big sword to take on a Devil I'm afraid.” I say, still calm as I smile at him. “If I wanted you dead, I'd have simply ended your life with my magic already.”

  
“Big words, but they're just words. I've seen the magic the Boss's mages throw around, and your little skeleton hands and firebolts are nothing more than parlour tricks in comparison.” Khath laughs making me pause.

Hm, maybe he is a bit smarter than I gave him credit for...

Also, that's kinda worrying to hear, guess I need to start planning on how to deal with powerful mages, I doubt this War Chieftess is gonna take this attack lying down.

I kinda hope she doesn't, I want the exp that large battles will bring me.

“As you wish, death it is then.” I say simply, my hands transforming as my fingers grow into long, deadly claws.

Natural weapon works on me just as well as it does my abominations after all.

...That actually really hurt, bones aren't meant to move like that, but I refuse to actually show any sign of the admittedly intense pain I just put myself through.

“Death it is.” Khath agrees with a feral smile as we stare each other down.

Now, duelling a big pissed off bugbear as a magic caster might seem like a bad idea, but I noticed something in the quest.

It never said I had to win the duel fairly.

Casting Natural Weapon again, I make a far more subtle change to my own body as he tauntingly swirls his blade, despite his best efforts I do spot the hint of worry on his face as he glances down at my newly clawed hands.

He's right to be afraid, if I've done this right then my claws are as sharp as his blade. If I haven't then I might be in a bit of trouble.

Live and learn.

Losing his patience, he rushes forwards trying to catch me off guard with a brutal downward swing, but as I said... I've long since tipped the scales in my favour.

Stepping to the side, I smile as his blade misses me completely, gouging into the ground as he snarls, before he yelps in pain as my clawed hand lashes out at his bare chest.

Hopping backwards, I call on my wings to fly away from his second strike, landing at the edge of the circle even as he screams in pain.

My scratch barely hurt him, but the Blood Boil I cast on him as I did it? I imagine that hurt quite a bit more. The spell fades quickly, but it did its job. I am unharmed, and he just screamed in agony with all his men watching.

Already nervous looks pass between the goblins, a couple have tried to flee while everyone is distracted but my naga have put a stop to that as they cut down anyone who tries to leave the camp.

I highly doubt future camps will be this easy to take by surprise, but I can appreciate an easy fight after being cockblocked by ghosts for so long.

Like I said, I've learnt a few new tricks and casting through specific parts of my body is one of them, it takes a bit of practice to get the timing down but it is certainly effective.

As he lets out a furious roar and charges me, I quickly cast my next spell and rush forwards myself, hiding my frown at the unpleasant feeling moving through my hand as I reach for his swinging blade.

This was either genius or an incredibly stupid idea, time to find out which.

**\- Khath -**

He'd underestimated the trickiness of this so called devil, he was clearly some kind of caster but he was fast, and surprisingly strong despite his lanky frame.

As his blade clashed with the devils hand, his eyes widened as he felt the shock-wave move up his arm as the steel smashed against the now gray skin, failing to cut into the stone-like hand.

Glaring at the smirking devil, even as his other hand reached forwards and gripped his arm, the claws digging into his flesh, he quickly realised he had been played for a fool.

His cleave could ordinarily shatter stone, but his blade was sluggish in his hand... it had been since he first cut down the mad orc.

Poison? Maybe, he had drunk his fill tonight, if he had gotten someone passed his lookouts they could have drugged the food and grog, it would explain why some of his men had just lost their minds.

“Your tricks won't work against the Chieftess, hell-spawn.” Khath spat making the devil smile.

“Really? But I have so many of them... like this for instance.” the devil trailed off, before he spat a glob of spit onto his face, directly into his eye.

The pain he had felt from the earlier scratch was amongst the worst he had every felt, it was like the very blood in his body was trying to claw its way out... but it was almost pleasant in comparison to the feeling of the spit melting through his eye, his vision blurring as he lost sight in one eye.

When his vision came back into focus, his remaining eye locked onto the smirking devil as he jumped back, snarling as he dislodged the claws from his arm.

His arm that immediately fell limp, ignoring his commands.

“Any final words to your minions?” the devil asked, utterly unharmed as his stony fist turned back to flesh, a smug smile on his face.

“FOR THE WARCHIE-”

As a firebolt shot from the extended hand of the devil, his cry was cut off as his fur caught alight.

As his body started to burn, the only comfort he had was the knowledge that the smug bastards victory would be short-lived.

**\- Kuro -**

Oddly enough, burning Bugbear smells better than normal Bugbear.

Honestly, this battle was over from the moment he didn't realise he had triggered my Curse of Enfeeblement, his strength, his only real advantage, was growing weaker with every passing second and he realised it far too late.

Calcifying myself was a risk, but the stone that Calcify turns flesh into is far stronger than regular rock, and with the Bugbears strength draining I was confident I could block his blade.

The acidic spit was an idea I got from watching my nagas use their own poison spit. Is there going to be long term side effects from giving myself a acid sac?  
  


Quite possibly, but I have done almost exactly the same to my nagas with no consequences. If I refuse to use my flesh crafting on myself then I am neglecting its potential, the potential to make myself into a living weapon.

The only difference between the poison sacs I gave my nagas and the acidic sac I gave myself is what it produces, and I made sure to carefully study different samples of acid my smuggler friend got me.

I have to give the dude credit, I show up with solid gold and say go find me a rhinoceros, a chameleon and some powerful acids and he doesn't even pause to ask me what the hell I'm doing with all the shit he gets me.

As he falls to the floor, I pause for a moment to sigh as I realise that I just wasted some perfectly good Fleshcrafting resources before I look around the remaining goblins.

There's less than half left, around fifty or so from a quick estimate, and they seem rather nervous.

I wonder why?

Now, what to do with this lot?

**\- Miza -**

As Lezea went to take a step forwards, she quickly reacted by grabbing her and pulling her back before she could get herself killed.

Khath was a bastard, but he was a strong bastard, it was why he was the one in charge after all. The horde ran on a might makes right mindset, and right now the new guy had all the might.

Even if he didn't have his twisted creatures watching them, and the snake ladies waiting for him to give the word to wipe them out, he beat Khath without them.

Which meant she was absolutely not fighting him, and she wasn't gonna let Lezea throw her life away stupidly.

As one of the other goblin barbarians went to charge the frankly bored looking man, she decided now was her time to act.

Moving forwards herself, she got behind the goblin as he was about to charge and shanked him in the back, repeatedly as everyone turned to her.

The first rule of being a goblin, do whatever the fuck it took to survive.

“Oh?” the human asked, curiosity in his eyes as he looked at her standing over the corpse of the meat-headed idiot (or the maybe human? He looked like a human but that didn't mean much, vampires looked human a lot of the time as well after all).

“Err, hey? Thought I'd make a good first impression with the new boss, never liked him anyway.” Miza said as she sheathed her dagger.

“Miza?! What in the hells are you doing?” Lezea shouted, pushing through the crowd, her axe still in her hand.

“He fought the boss, he won, so he's the boss now. It's how things work around here, remember?” Miza said unapologetically, giving her friend a warning look even as she turned her glare to the still amused man. “You got a name, boss? Or do you just prefer Boss? Chief? Milord? Master?”

“Kuro. Kuro Dantalion, a Devil Lord, to be exact. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miza was it? As your friend said, I am here to tell you all that you are... under new management, I have taken command of this encampment and if any of you do not wish to serve me and would like to leave, I suggest you do so now.” Kuro said, his tone far too silky as he looked over the gathered goblins.

  
As Lezea glanced at the exit to the camp, Miza quickly shook her head. She knew a trap when she heard one.

As several of the goblins made a break for the gate, her worry was proven correct as they reached the threshold, arrows raining down on them the second they passed through the gate.

Those that hadn't reached the gate yet froze in place, staring up at the glaring eyes of the snake women in fear.

“Now, for those who have remained here, I can only assume you are willing to serve me and renounce their servitude to this... Mazoga.” Kuro continued, smiling at them calmly as his twisted humanoids gathered behind him, glaring at them challengingly.

She had to give Kuro credit, he knew how to get through to her kind as the remaining goblins practically fell over themselves to abandon the War Chieftess and swear their loyalty to him.

The orcs would have been far harder to convince, and that was probably why they all had poisoned arrows sticking out of them.

Glaring at Lezea, they had a silent conversation as she tried to convince her friend to do the smart thing for once.

With most of the goblins grovelling for their lives, it was no surprise that Lezea ended up getting his attention as she remained standing, her weapon gripped tightly.

“Is there a problem, goblin?” Kuro asked, looking over the other goblins to stare at Lezea as she glared at him.

“The War Chieftess won't let you get away with this, and I'm no traitor.” Lezea growled as she got into a battle ready stance, even as Miza facepalmed.

“Oh I'm sure she won't, I'm even counting on it... but if that is your decision-” Kuro said, raising his hand towards Lezea before Miza moved between them, one last card to play.

“Boss, you shouldn't kill her... her big sister is one of Mazoga's commanders, she's more useful to you alive.” Miza said quickly, a gasp of betrayal coming from behind her.

“Oh really? Well, isn't that interesting...” Kuro drawled, even as Lezea pushed passed her and charged him.

Her fear of watching her only friend be cut down by poisoned arrows didn't come to pass as Kuro simply sidestepped Lezea's wild swing, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Lezea was decently strong, especially for a goblin... but she was still weak enough that she'd ended up in this middle of nowhere camp, and it was no real surprise when she simply collapsed under the devils magic.

Captured and used as a bargaining tool was better than dead, even if Lezea probably wouldn't see it that way.

It was hard being a smart goblin.

**\- Kuro -**

Looking down at the surprisingly cute helpful goblin, she stares back at me nervously with large violet eyes barely hidden by her hood. I like this one.

...She has slits cut into her hood for her large light green ears to poke out of, and that's actually kinda adorable.

“Right, consider this your first order.” I say, looking over the gathered goblins as they look up at me. “Gather the dead, pile them up outside the camp. This place is a mess.” I say scoldingly, looking over the camp with disapproval. “Gather their belongings in a pile in the middle of the camp.”

I have expensive tastes, and this place doesn't quite meet it.

“Not you.” I say as... Miza goes to help move the bodies, eager to be helpful. She seems like the smartest of the survivors and I need information. “You stay with me, Ghoul pick up... hmm, what is this ones name?” I ask my new goblin assistant as my first and favourite ghoul picks up the paralysed goblin.

“Lezea, boss.” Miza says quickly, barely worry on her face as she looks at her... I'm guessing friend? Miza didn't give a shit about backstabbing the other aggressive goblin, so her concern for Lezea is clearly a special case.

“And who exactly is her sister?” I ask, staring down at the tiny goblin, I'd guess somewhere in the three foot range as she barely reaches my waist.

Quite the difference from the giant bugbear the goblins are dragging away, taking several of them just to move him.

“Axa, she's a... tinkerer I guess? She makes things for the War Chieftess, machines and the like.” Miza says quickly as I look around the camp, before picking my destination.

There were cages in the biggest tent, they'll work for keeping my bartering chip.

Entering the tent with my ghoul and Miza following behind, I take a moment to a closer look at the human woman, my line of sight no longer broken by the rutting of a massive hairy body.

“And who exactly is this?” I ask Miza as I stare at the captive woman.

I was expecting a broken and terrified slave to be honest, but as I look down at the pale face of the unfortunate woman I realise my mistake.

Her skin is snow-white, with the exception of the black warpaint she has over her eyes, and the scars and cuts littering her naked body. They seem fairly fresh, but the most recent injury is clearly around her wrists from where she was just trying to force her hands through the very tightly bound shackles.

“Dunno her name, Khath and the others raided the Wildlings a couple of weeks back and they brought her home with them as a trophy, the old boss liked human girls, especially ones who put up a fight.” Miza explained even as the chained up woman glared at us fiercely with a rather intense pair of gray eyes.

Looking over her naked body, I confirm a few things... one, her scars aren't all recent and some of them seem downright ancient and two... she has far more muscle tone than some captured villager would have. She's a fighter, even if she isn't a complete wall of muscle.

I do believe I've found a Nord woman, especially if the human sized fur and leather clothing and pair of hand axes just laying on the floor, just out of her reach, are anything to go by.

“And where exactly are these Wildlings located? How soon should I expect a horde of them coming to repay the favour?” I ask making Miza pause.

“Well, you have to go through the portals to get to their realm, and this camp doesn't really get raided that often, nothing worth looting I guess.” Miza says as our... guest spits at my feet.

“My kin will come for me, and being a human won't save you. That bitch Mazoga and all her minions are gonna feel the wrath of the winter, you limp dicked cunt.” she snarls at me as I pause.

“Well, I'm sure that will be rather unpleasant for them, but I do not serve Mazoga... just a third-party that decided to grab some real estate in this little forest. This camp, and everything in it, is mine now... as proven by the fact that the old leader is currently lying in a pile of corpses.” I reply calmly, uncaring even as I find the keys to the cages, just sitting in a bowl.

Opening one of the cages up, I have my ghoul toss Lezea in it and lock it again.

“You ain't part of the horde? Then who the fuck are you? Who do you serve?” she asks, pausing as she glares at Miza before giving my ghoul a stare.

“In order, no, I am not a part of the horde. I am Lord Kuro Dantalion, a Devil, and I serve no-one but I am in the process of... making my own faction.” I answer easily enough. “And who exactly are you?”

“...Bryria Alisdottir, a Wildling huntress. If you ain't a part of Mazoga's men, unchain me already, hell-spawn.” she orders, making me frown. I don't like being told what to do, even if insult mean nothing to me.

“You are in now position to make demands of me, Bryria, and unfortunately you won't be going anywhere.” I say, almost apologetically.

Right now, I need information, so I'm not going to set her loose to run back to her people. She's my source of information on her people, and I don't intend to give that up.

At the end of the day, if I want to truly consider conquering dungeons, I'm going to need every edge I can get, even as she snarls at me, her situation doing nothing to help her temper.

“I'm warning you, devil-spawn, try it and I'll bite your shrivelled cock off. Let me go or my people will wipe out your pathetic new faction before Mazoga even has a chance to slaughter you for taking her camp.” Bryria threatens as I pause. Clearly she mistook the curiosity in my eyes for lust, well... it's not like there wasn't any lust but that's not the point. I've been kinda horny this whole time thanks to Grayfia.

I might not have that much information... but I do have a working brain and a set of functioning eyes.

“Hmm, allow me to point out why you're full of shit. Firstly, if you were so important to your people then there would have been an attempt to rescue you in the... two weeks you've been a captive, instead you have been left here with no rescue in sight. I doubt your people are the type to sit around and plan after all. You have likely been written off as dead, or just not important enough to warrant a rescue.” I point out, watching her pause as she flinches ever so slightly. “Secondly, your claim that you'll bite off my manhood... these claims would be far more believable if you didn't have some Bugbear seed on your chin, and even more leaking out of your ass and pussy. You've spent two weeks here spreading your legs for a Bugbear, and you expect me to believe that you'd fight back if I decided to take you?” I ask condescendingly as I shake my head in amusement. “Besides, I'd have to have you bathed a dozen times before I was willing to touch you, I am not interested in a Bugbears sloppy seconds.” I say calmly, opening the second cage up.

Walking towards her, even as she backs up away from me, I simply reach down and grab her shoulder, casting Inflict Paralysis again.

She seems fairly strong, but two weeks of abuse while likely not eating or drinking properly has left her body weak, even if her spirit is still willing to fight, and she falls limp quickly enough as I undo the chains and move her into the cage, careful not to touch the cum covering her body.

Locking that cage as well, I take a moment to look around the tent with a frown.

It's not that I am not willing to use a tent, especially if I'm going to be spending any decent amount of time in this place... but I have standards.

“Ghoul, grab... literally everything except the chest and the cages and pile it up outside.” I order as I sniff the air, shivering slightly. “Miza, wait outside my tent.”

Opening a portal to my lab, I send another few ghouls through it with some very important orders.

Get me some better furniture from the castle.

Even the cheapest crap we use for the slave quarters is better than a cum stained bedroll used by a bugbear.

As my ghoul gets to work stripping the place, I take a moment to finally check the notification I got when I won my... duel.

**Dungeon Quest**

**[The Greenskin Encampment]**

**[x] Objective 1: Destroy the Goblin Camp**

**Reward: Common Greenskin Lootbox x2**

**[x] Objective 2: Slay the Bugbear Chief**

**Reward: Uncommon Greenskin Lootbox x1**

**[x] Optional Objective: Subjugate the Encampment instead of Destroying it**

**Reward: Rare Greenskin Lootbox x 1, Territory Conquered**

**[x] Optional Objective: Defeat the Bugbear Chief in a Duel**

**Reward: Uncommon Greenskin Lootbox x1, EXP Boost**

**[ ] Hidden Objective: Assassinate the Bugbear Chief without being spotted**

**[ ] Hidden Objective: Free the Wildling Captive and have her kill the Bugbear Chief instead**

Lootboxes... oh no.

I think I just felt the soul of my wallet just scream.

Oh wait no, that was just Izan.

Wait, why is Izan dead?

...well, deader.

I... I'll summon him back in a minute, I need his advice anyway.

But first, my experience... the whole reason I came here.

**Kuro Dantalion, the Lord of House Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 28 (07%)**

**Alignment – Neutral Evil**

**Mentor – None**

**Apprentice – None**

**HP – 2000 [400 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 4000 [400 regen per minute]**

**SP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]**

**STR – 10 (x10) = 100**

**END – 20 (x10) = 200**

**DEX – 10 (x10) = 100**

**INT – 40 (x10) = 400**

**WIS – 20 (x10) = 200**

**CHA – 25 (x20) = 500**

**LCK – 20 (x15) = 300**

**Stats – 65**

Okay, on one hand... fuck yes.

On the other hand... WHY IS RIAS SO LOW LEVEL?!

_I am nine levels lower than Rias already._

How does someone train all their life and have so little to show for it?

Taking a moment to think about it, I put allocate my stats where I think they'll do the most good.

**STR – 20 (x10) = 200**

**END – 20 (x10) = 200**

**DEX – 20 (x10) = 200**

**INT – 60 (x10) = 600**

**WIS – 40 (x10) = 400**

**CHA – 30 (x20) = 600**

**LCK – 20 (x15) = 300**

I do like being fairly well rounded, and frankly I did enjoy fighting the Bugbear whose name I have already forgotten, doubling my strength and dexterity can only help out in the long run.

The rest should be obvious, charisma to help with the people who won't leave me alone and a load in intelligence and wisdom because I like magic... a lot.

**Stat Perk Earned**

**[Speed Reader] – INT [50]**

**You excel at reading the written word, reading entire novel in the time it takes lesser readers to skim through a comic.**

Well, that's... actually fairly useful considering how much time I am going to have to spend reading Grimoires, and the knowledge that I can get perks from hitting certain stat milestones is good to know.

Moving on, I have Lootboxes to open first, starting with the common ones.

**Potion of Healing (Common Potion) x 2**

**Potion of Mana (Common Potion) x 1**

**Topaz (Common Gemstone) x 1**

**Ruby (Uncommon Gemstone) x 1**

Isis, why do I find so many Gemstones?

**Because it would be a waste for you to get crafting mats you can't use, so I lock most of them away until you have the skills to actually put them to use, Master.**

Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you today?

**(ᵔᴥᵔ)**

Moving onto the uncommon boxes, I take a moment to send my hatred towards Gacha game designers with their insistence of making you draw actual trash you can't use.

**Bloodstone (Uncommon Gemstone) x 2**

**Dreadstone (Rare Gemstone) x 1**

**[The Shrouded Hood]**

**[Amulet of Maglubiyet]**

Well hello there...

**[The Shrouded Hood]**

**A hood made of silk enchanted with shadow magic, causing it to obscure the wearers face in darkness. The magic imbued in this hood also obscures the wearer to most forms of scrying magic.**

**[Amulet of Maglubiyet]**

**A cold iron amulet shaped like an axe, it's blade stained in long-dried blood. The wearer of this amulet commands the respect of Goblins and Hobgoblins. You lack the magical knowledge to discern the powers of this amulet.**

As I equip my new hood, leaving it down for now, I can't help but shake the weird feeling that Isis is spoiling me.

I won't put the amulet on, not just yet... I've played enough games to know that equipping mysterious artifacts that may or may not be connected to a god isn't a good idea.

**(¬‿¬)**

Last Lootbox... the rare one.

**Shadowruby (Legendary Gemstone) x 1**

**[Robes of the Lolth-Sworn]**

As the deep black and purple robes appear, I have to take a moment to remind myself that putting on mysterious magical items connected to a god, especially one like fucking Lolth, is a really bad idea.

Even as I hold the incredibly soft robe in my hand.

**[Robes of the Lolth-Sworn]**

**Made with spider-silk from Lolth herself, this robe has divinity in every thread. You lack the magical knowledge to discern the powers of this robe.**

Nothing good comes from putting this on, no matter how wonderful it feels...

As I put the robe away in my inventory, I remind myself that for the third time.

I will make use of those robes... when I am sure I am not going to be cursed to high hell and back by putting them on, but for now I have other matters to attend to.

Casting Speak with the Dead again, I reach out and grab a hold of Grandfathers soul with far greater ease now that I am familiar with his presence, it is rather... unmistakable.

“About fucking time brat, we need to talk!” Izan says the moment he forms, even as I stare at him.

“Obviously, how the fuck did you end up double dead in the short amount of time I've been gone? Did you peek on Grayfia? How the fuck does a ghost end up getting itself killed?!” I ask in annoyance as he scoffs.

“Cause you forgot to mention the fucking naked ghost bitch running around your house with a fucking ghost-sword!” Izan countered making me pause, staring at him. “Err... it was your ghost bitch right, cause if not you have a bit of a problem.”

“...start from the beginning.”

“Fine, I was exploring the place since I was bored and you'd fucked off somewhere, then all of a sudden a ghost girl covered in some bandages and nothing else flew through the walls screeching like a lunatic. Before I could even say anything, the crazy bitch pulled a ghost blade out of her body and stabbed me with it... and that's not exactly unusual, Levi did worse to me when she caught me taking Lilith to pound-town and frankly I was willing to put our differences aside since she was the first woman I met who I could actually touch since my death and I was willing to lower my standards and ignore the whole... slashed to pieces thing if it meant getting my dick wet again, but then she cut my head off. Why the fuck didn't you give me a ghost sword?” Izan asked angrily as I paused.

My house is haunted.

Of course my house is fucking haunted.

I am so sick of ghosts.

“First of all, I wouldn't trust you with a ghost butter knife, and second of all... stop being a lil bitch, I brought you back didn't you? I'm sure Michael did worse to you before.” I counter making him pause.

“Well, yeah... he kinda disintegrated my head with one of his light spears, but that was over so quickly I barely felt it. He was kinda pissed off over the whole molesting his sister thing, would have been fucking hilarious if he fell from his anger but I guess Big G gave him a pass.” Izan said with a shrug. “Also, someone's been having a party... what the fuck is that green midget?” he asks, floating towards the cells as he stares at Bryria's naked body.

“A goblin, it's a long story... Look, I will look into half-naked ghost ladies when I get home... but it's time for you to do what I called you back from the void for, I kinda conquered this camp and now I need this place warded to high-hell before the owner comes to get it back. Also, I might have declared war on some Vikings or something, still not sure about that one.” I admit as he stares at me before he bursts out laughing as we walk out of the tent, looking around the camp.

“Ahh, that's the old Dantalion luck. It ain't a good day if you haven't started a war with someone, but if you wanna make... this place into somewhere you can actually defend, we have a lot of work to do.” Izan says, a serious look appearing on his face for the first time as I bring out the gemstones. “Well, well... someone was prepared, guess it's time for your first lesson. First things first, forget everything the cumstain tried to teach you, he was wrong anyway.”

**\- Later -**

“Boy! Why have you stopped carving!?” Izan yells, glaring at me as I lay my head down on the desk my ghoul brought to the tent.

“BECAUSE WE USED EVERY SINGLE GEM I HAD.” I growl back, glaring at the spectral asshole. “Because _somebody_ thought it'd be funny to lock the Dantalion Warding Supplies behind a fucking Master level ward with no easy way of dismantling it.”

I have one gem left, the Shadowruby... my one and only legendary gem that I am not using until I am 100% sure that it won't be wasted. I even wasted my Dreadstones, though I did manage to make two Rare wardstones out of the four Dreadstones.

I accidentally destroyed two of them much to Izan's mockery, but with his... admittedly brilliant guidance I managed to make the rare Wardstones.

**Mentor Unlocked**

**[Izan Dantalion]**

**Subjects: Wardcrafting, Wardstone Crafting, Sexual Arts**

“Well _excuse me_ for having the faintest hope that maybe, just maybe, one of my family would actually be competent.” Izan scoffs back.

“How were they supposed to get better at Wardcrafting... with the Wardcrafting supplies locked away?”

“Breaking wards is fucking childs play, it should have been easy, a months work at the very most even for a dumbass.” Izan explains as I realise just why my father hated learning from Izan.

He is an unparalleled genius, one who wards as easily as he breathes... and he just doesn't understand why other people don't understand wards as well as he does. If you don't understand things as quickly as he did, you're an idiot and not worth his time.

Unfortunately for him, his time will be spent however I say it will be spent cause he's fucking dead and we came to an agreement quickly.

He keeps teaching me and he doesn't get thrown back to super-hell.

But, my work here is done...

“Izan, go bother someone else for a while.” I order, watching as he glowers before floating off. He doesn't like taking orders, but he likes super hell even worse.

The camp isn't that big, and while it might have been a waste of one of my rare wardstones, it is now warded to the best of my current abilities...

I have several interlocking wards covering the camp and the surrounding forest... firstly, my detection and surveillance ward combination that is becoming my go to ward set. Learning how to tie individual goblins into it without accidentally giving a pass to every goblin was harder than I expected but I seem to have gotten the hang of it.

  
Izan thinks it is right at least.

If anyone except my abominations and the goblins that have sworn their loyalty to me enter the boundaries, I will know about it.

Which immediately became a problem because every bird and large bug that fly through the boundary sent a warning directly to my brain. After laughing at me for a while, Izan agreed to teach me how to fix that fuck up and even taught me a ward to repel insects.

He's still a bastard though.

Next, the undead and spirit wards, to repel undead and ghosts away from the camp... does this place have undead? Maybe. I don't know and I don't want to come back to find more fucking ghosts.

I have had my fill of spirits.

And then my favourite... the Necrotic ward. If anyone tries to enter the camp without being on the... whitelist, the ward will constantly zap them with necrotic magic.

It doesn't do a lot of damage, but it is non-stop and it should get the message across that I don't want any outsiders here.

There's also a privacy ward set on the cages, which allows me to basically stop my two prisoners from actually seeing or hearing anything that is going on outside their cage until I decide otherwise.

And another privacy ward on my tent to stop the sounds, and more importantly smell, of a camp full of goblins.

All in all, this place is almost defensible now... I have thirty-two goblins, ten nagas and fifteen ghouls all gathered in this camp, and with the wards this place is almost safe to use as a staging grounds... for what you may ask?

**Dungeon Quest**

**[Conquer the Greenskin Dungeon]**

**Objective 1: Subjugate Every Stronghold in the Greenskin Dungeon**

**Objective 2: Defeat or Turn the Generals of War Chieftess Mazoga**

**Objective 3: Defeat or Enslave War Chieftess Mazoga**

**Hidden Objectives: ???**

I have no idea how long it will take, I have no idea how strong this Mazoga will end up being... but I want the exp anyway, I might as well conquer the place while I do so. Right now I am the Lord of a family of One, with a few slaves and a dozen more abominations... but to be the lord of this entire realm?  
  


Well, I'm keeping my options open.

Because I have learnt a very simple thing about myself recently.

“You wanted to see me, Boss?” Miza asks as she enters, looking around the tent with wide eyes.

I really like being treated with respect.

I have heavily transformed the tent from when she was here earlier, the almost Victorian furniture my ghouls brought from home helped a lot. I'll buy some more when I get home, clearly I'm going to need it.

The hard part was putting in the wooden floor, but I have ghouls for that kind of manual labour. Who is gonna miss a few trees anyway?

Sitting on the comfy couch, I stare at the slightly nervous blonde goblin.

“I did, Miza. Call it curiosity, but what exactly do you do?” I ask making her pause. “Most of the goblins here are hunters, with some lumberjacks and a cook but not you. You're clearly smarter than the rest of your kind, so what exactly do you do?”

“I was a scout, Boss. Lots of exploring the forest mostly, got pretty good at it but now? I'm whatever you want me to be. You're the chief so you decide what everyone does now.” Miza says quickly, glancing at the cages.

“Just like that?” I ask, amused despite myself.

“Imma be real with you, Boss, I just wanna live and staying on your good side seems like my best option. You tell me I'm a cook now, I'll go grab an apron. You want me to go hunt, I'll take a bow and go look for a deer, probably won't catch shit but I'll give it my best. You tell me I'm your cocksleeve?, well it's gonna be a tight fit but us goblins are surprisingly stretchy so I'm sure we can make it work. I'm a goblin, and two things you need to know about goblins is that we are absolute cowards, and we always end up taking orders from something bigger and stronger than us.” Miza admits with a shrug, no shame at her cowardice.

“Your friend, and yes I do know that she is your friend, doesn't seem to share your mindset.” I point out making Miza frown.

“Lezea's a barbarian, and all barbarians have been hit on the head too many times to think straight. They don't really think further than find enemy, hit enemy. It's why they usually end up dead real quick.” Miza says quickly.

“Hmm, good to know. Don't worry, as long as she doesn't prove... too troublesome, I won't kill your friend, even if I have to punish her.” I promise making her scoff.

“Look, I know my friend... you are absolutely going to have to _punish_ her and chances are she'll be as hard to discipline as a pissed off starving warg. I care for Lezea, but she's always been hot-headed.” Miza admits.

“Good to know, but enough about here... and more about you. So, you'll do whatever I want you to, right?” I ask, smirking at her as she nods at me quickly.

“You're the Boss, and since Mazoga would rip my heads off for betraying her even only temporarily, I'm kinda stuck with you.”

“I see, and what was that you said about being my cocksleeve again?”

**\- Izan -**

Go somewhere else Izan, stop insulting me Izan, teach me stupidly simple things Izan.

Kuro was a massive improvement over Iaxes, but he was still a whiny brat... but he was also a whiny brat who could back up his whining with the threat of hell which gave his complaints a lot more weight.

He was almost proud of how easily Kuro wielded the threat of tossing his grandfather back to an eternity of torture, and absolutely meant it, but it was still annoying.

And to make it worse, the fucking brat was probably pounding some goblin pussy right now and he'd been sent away like a pet cat getting thrown out of the bedroom because it was ruining the mood.

What the fuck were goblins anyway?

Bored, annoyed and horny as he flew around the camp, unable to leave the camp walls thanks to the ward aimed at spirits (where was that when a crazy ghost bitch was cutting off his head?), there was no way his admittedly feeble self-control could stop his curiosity as he flew over one of the small tents, hearing all too familiar sounds.

Flesh slapping against flesh joined by grunts and moans.

Being a ghost was annoying, but it had its advantages and putting them to use he focused and made his body stop glowing as he became almost invisible, just a translucent shimmer in the night sky. He was a genius, dead or alive, and working out the limits of his ghostly powers had been his first goal...

Flying through the tent roof, he smirked as he found exactly what he was looking for.

Goblin males were repulsive to be honest, flat faced little midgets... but the woman? The green skinned shortstacks were far hotter than they had any right to be with their curvy bodies and he could understand his grandsons decision to conquer them so he could make them his slave race, forcing the men into slave labour and the women into sexual servitude.

It was what he would have done if he found them first after all.

He absolutely should have done that to the angels, and the fallen angels... and the youkai and vampires.

But he was getting distracted, looking back down at the bedroll, he cursed the world and Big G especially for the injustice as he watched the ugly midget rut into a cute light green girl with fiery red hair, the girl on her hands and knees as she smirked back at him as he pounded her fat ass. That thing could get laid but he was stuck as a voyeur?

Spotting a small pouch of gold coins laying on the bedroll, he quickly realised that things hadn't changed that much. Ugly guys needed affection too, but they had to pay for it.

But it just wasn't fair!

He was Izan Fucking Dantalion, the Devil who cucked Lucifer and got away with it! The Devil who knocked up Leviathan and got her so addicted to his dick she let him do basically anything to her if it meant he'd dick her down more. He was so badass Big G himself had to save his precious Arch-Angels and now he was reduced to this?!

NO!

With a roar, he flew forwards towards the male goblin, feeling something deep within him change as he entered the tiny green body.

Immediately, his eyes widened in pure joy as for the first time in thousands of years he felt something other than pain, even the cold night air was a blessing, the smell of burnt meat and unwashed bodies a definite upgrade from sulfur but the best part?

With a guttural roar, he slammed his hips forwards, indulging in the feeling of his dick slamming into a tight wet pussy for the first time in forever (well, not his but whatever).

He wasn't even ashamed when he immediately burst, a weak spurt of cum flooding the goblin girls cunt.

Bursting out laughing, even as the whore stared at him unimpressed, he cackled to himself as he started making plans.

Lock up your women, Underworld, Izan Dantalion was back and hornier than ever!

“You paid for one round, ain't my fault you're a quick shot. Get off me already.”

Wait, what?

**\- Kuro -**

**Through a baffling amount of personal willpower, the Ghost Izan Dantalion has evolved into a Spirit, gaining the ability to possess weaker willed living creatures.**

...Fucking what?

**I... I don't even know how he did it.**

**\- Bonus Scene - War Chieftess Mazoga -**

Listening to the scouts reports, Mazoga leaned back in her throne with a fierce scowl.

The camp that had been taken from them was mostly worthless, it was in the middle of nowhere and filled with weaklings, even its leader was one of her weakest officers. The only thing it provided was timber and some less valuable ores from the nearby mine.

But the fact that someone had taken one of her camps, mere days after she took the position of War Chieftess was an insult, a slap to her face and a blow to her reputation.

Already the other realms were trying to test her defences, the Wildlings had already tried a retaliatory raid against the keep Ghorza ruled, but her necromancy had driven them off, and Axa had reported that the vampires had tried to raid her base.

She almost pitied the poor bloodsuckers, as Axa may be... completely insane, she was also a genius 'tinkerer' and her creations sometimes even scared Mazoga, not that she would ever admit it. The fact that her sister was currently missing had made Axa more unhinged than ever.

She didn't know who this new invader was, but they had managed to do something that she absolutely could not allowed... they had claimed a part of her realm as their territory.

This could not stand.

“Iymrae, time to earn your keep.” she barked out at the shadows behind her throne, watching the dark gray skinned Drow slink out of the shadows, a scheming smile on her face. “Find out who leads these invaders, then kill them. I don't care how.”

She was surprising good at hiding for someone with bright white hair.

“If that is your wish, but perhaps you are being a bit... hasty, Lady Mazoga?” Iymrae stated, her tone a mixture of subservient and condescending.

Accepting the Drow into her ranks had been a blessing and a curse, no-one knew assassination and scheming like a Drow, but she knew the woman schemed against her as much as she did for her.

“And why is that exactly?”

“You heard the reports, strange creatures under the control of a single caster and a mysterious barrier around the camp... two forms of magic unknown to us.” Iymrae pointed out patronisingly, looking at her with amused silver eyes. “Do you not see the benefits of learning whatever magic this invader is using? It is far too rash to simply kill them and waste this opportunity.”

“...capture them then, but either way this cannot be allowed to stand.” Mazoga growled, glaring at the smirking Drow.

She hated the smug bitch, but she hated that she was right even more.

“Of course, my lady... I'm so glad you saw the wisdom in listening to me, I'll have my best infiltrator track down the leader of this little invasion and have then in the dungeons no time, I assure you... give me a week with them and they'll happily spill their every secret to me.” Iymrea said, her tone seductive as she stroked the black leather whip hanging from her belt.

“...just go away, I am not in the mood to deal with you today.”

Fucking Drows.

**Authors Note: Freedom Kuro isn't as nice Conquest Kuro, he has no qualms about being utterly ruthless towards his enemies or even neutrals if it is for his own gain.**

**The Dungeon was originally going to be a normal dungeon where he just killed and got exp, but honestly that bores me. So I decided to make the dungeons something different this time. This chapter basically wrote itself.**


	7. Pride Cometh Before the Fall

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 07: Pride Cometh Before the Fall**

“Seriously?” I ask, walking into the tent without bothering to announce myself, Miza following behind as I give the goblin Izan is possessing a glare.

He just cock-blocked me, I should be balls deep in Miza right now but instead I'm stuck dealing with ghosts so horny they evolved.

“I regret nothing.” Izan says simply even as the red-headed female goblin pushes him off her, standing up casually as she reaches for some rags to wipe away the yellowed cum leaking out of her.

“Really? Not even getting stuck in the form of a weak goblin?” I ask, smirking slightly as he pauses. “Just a warning, I didn't want to deal with you hopping body to body... so I cancelled the spell keeping you in the land of the living, as long as you stay in that body you won't be sent back to hell, but...” I trail off, smirking at him as his tiny red eyes widen..

**Don't worry Master, I've worked out what happened and patched that bug. Your ghosts shouldn't be able to evolve without your assistance any more.**

Thanks Isis, I don't need my ghosts running around on their own.

  
“...Oh that's a dick move.” Izan squeaks, even as I force down a laugh. He's so fucking high-pitched... and even as he glares up at me, he's barely three foot tall.

“I don't trust you not to cause trouble, or are you saying you'd trust you?” I ask making him pause.

“Okay, fair but you're still an asshole.” Izan says, crossing his arms.

“Erm, what's going on boss?” the female goblin asks, looking between me and Izan.

  
“Long story short, my ghost grandfather has possessed your partner.” I admit, there's really no way to say that nicely.

“Oh, he ain't my partner, he just paid for a quickie... a real quickie given how long he lasted.” she cackles slightly even as a darker green blush appears on Izan's face. “Names Shanx, boss man, and don't worry, ain't no one gonna miss that nobody if you want your old man to keep his body.”

“I see, my thanks Shanx, but if you'll excuse me I need to talk with my grandfather.” I say, making her nod as she grabs the leather rags that apparently pass for her clothes.

“Got it, Boss. Lemme know if you need anything, my legs are always open for you, no charge.” Shanx offers as she dresses and leaves the tent, leaving me to turn back to Izan.

“Look, it's been a while, okay?. I've felt nothing but pain for a thousand years, so I need to get used to pleasure again.” Izan explains even as I sigh.

“Izan, I really don't give a shit about your inability to last, and put some clothes on dammit, stop waving that worm around.” I order as he grabs the clothes of the goblin he has stolen the body of.

Sending a mental signal, I summon my favourite Naga to my side as she quickly slithers in.

Placing a hand on her upper chest, I call on my Fleshcrafting magic once more as I make a slight change to her body.

When I make a Naga, it destroys their vocal cords... for some reason? There's a lot about Fleshcrafting I still don't understand to be honest, and that is one of them, but my Naga have shown incredible intelligence in comparison to my Ghouls and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to speak.

Restoring her vocal cords isn't really a problem, it's just bringing back something that she still has the DNA for, and her body remembers how to reproduce them with a little help from my magic making her body more malleable.

“You ssummoned me, Massster?” she asks, a strange hissing to her tone as she tilts her head towards me, her eyes locked onto me almost unnervingly.

“I need to leave this place for a while, and I need to leave someone I can trust in command here until I return. While I am gone, you are in charge of the goblins, naga and ghouls, your job is simple.. keep this place defended until I return, we need a much larger force before we are ready to go on the offensive.” I order, making her bow slightly.

“It will be done, Massster~” she promises as I pause.

I really should name her... what was the human I used to make her called again? Oh right, I never asked. She was the first Naga I ever made, from the farmers wife I grabbed... fuck, what's a good name for a Naga?

“From now on, your name is Vesra.” I say after a moment, using the first thing that comes to mind as she smiles, her fangs on display.

“Thank you, My Massster.” Vesra says, her tone pleased as she stares at me. “I will prove your trussst is not misplaced.” she promises as I nod.

“If you come under attack, smash the green gem in my tent and it will alert me.” I order, it is tied to a weak and frankly useless ward that I set up purely to act as a warning system. Once broken, I will get a mental warning that my camp is under attack even if the attackers haven't entered my ward range yet.

I mean... if I lose this camp I'll just need to grab more people, it's not the end of the word.

“I believe you. Miza, Izan you are with me, and stop scowling old man.” I order as I head back to my tent, focusing on one of the large wardrobes I had brought.

Using my realm magic, I turn the wardrobe into a doorway back to my realm and open it up, sending an order to my ghouls.

I have a much more secure prison cell in my lab, and keeping Lezea and Bryria there will lessen the chances of them escaping. Even if they get out, they will just be trapped in my Fleshcrafting lab and that's not a place you want to be.

They struggle slightly, but Bryria is weak and half starved and Lezea is too low level to really fight off a Ghoul.

Oddly enough, as we move passed the calcified statues of my other prisoners who are awaiting Fleshcrafting, their fight leaves them and they go still as they are thrown into the larger and more spacious cells of my lab.

Or perhaps it is the torture chamber next to the cells, the rack stained with blood that takes their fight away, I've never actually used it but it came pre-bloodied.

“What's with all the statues?” Izan asks, poking one of the few remaining female ones.

“They are calcified humans, my stash for when I need to Fleshcraft more abominations.” I admit as Lezea and Bryria are locked away. “Why?”

I could calcify them as well, but I plan on interrogating them both and the cold and frankly creepy lab will do wonders in weakening their resolve.

“Can I have one? The human, not the statue.” Izan asks as I sigh.

“I only have four female ones left, and they are all... on the younger side.” I admit as he looks over the four female statues among the two dozen statues I have lined up. They are from the slaver camp I attacked before, all the adult women have already been turned into Nagas but I wasn't sure what to do with the younger ones.

They aren't children, but they are barely teens and they wouldn't make good nagas since they'd be weaker than my usual ones.

“I've been on a thousand year dry streak, I'm not picky. Come on... it'll keep me occupied and out of your way.” Izan whines as I sigh. He has a point, if giving him a toy keeps him out of trouble it'd be worth it.

I already want to keep him away from Grayfia now that he has a body, but I also don't trust him to keep out of trouble if I leave him in the camp.

“Fine, pick one, but I want to be very clear... if you make any trouble, any trouble at all... I'll just kill your new body and banish you back to hell, then I'll just summon you when I need your help and leave you in hell the rest of the time, are we clear?” I ask making him shiver slightly, his new body more expressive than his ghostly form as he pales to a sickly green.

“Got it, and I want that one.” Izan says, pointing to one of the statues. I can see why, out of the four I'd say she's the oldest, or at least the most developed.

Probably fourteen if I had to guess, and as I turn her back to flesh I quickly paralyse her and move her to my... work table.

When I make an abomination, the process has two major parts to it... the mind and the body. When I create a Naga, their mind is warped to become more serpent-like and when I make a Ghoul it just destroys what intelligence they have and makes them mindlessly obedient.

As a small mercy, the least I can do is get rid of this girls mind if I'm leaving her as Izan's toy.

I have no reason to change her body this time... so all I have to do is make the mental alterations without altering her body, easy right?

“What the hell are you doing?” Izan asks as I summon the mists, holding my hand above her frozen body, green mists gathering in my hand before they seep down towards her, entering her body through her partially open mouth and nostrils.

“Shut it, I'm working.”

The changes I make are simple, twisting her mind and giving her the same slavish obedience my ghouls have but without completely destroying her intelligence.

I need her willing to do anything for me, but able to act independently like my Nagas can.

After a moment, watching her twitching bodies, I move the mists through her body making... minor changes here and there, improving her endurance and giving her a very minor healing factor, increasing the speeds at which her body can fix itself. It's fairly easy to alter her body to erase or at least minimise certain needs, getting rid of the need for sleep, lowering her hunger and thirst, all it takes is... tweaking and improving a few things here and there.

I don't know how rough Izan plays, but I don't want to have to replace her later.

Finishing off, I take a moment to simply get rid of her womb, she doesn't need it and I don't want to deal with Izan breeding.

Moving back, I smile as the dark-skinned teenager sits up, her body still shaking slightly from the pain of having her body twisted, even with as small changes as hers was.

“Master?” her accented voice asks as she moves off the slab, standing before us.

She's registered as an abomination just called a 'Servant' when I observe her, and it is fitting.

  
“Strip.” I order simply, watching as she immediately removes the already revealing rags from her body, exposing her ebony skin and developing body without a hint of shame or hesitation.

The problem with using this kind of method to make people serve me is simple... it destroys who they used to be. Whatever her name was, she couldn't even tell me any more. She's just a Servant now.

It's why I won't risk actually Fleshcrafting myself until I am far better, what if I destroy my own mind in the process?

“This good enough?” I ask Izan casually as he moves forwards, reaching up with a green clawed hand and groping at her naked breasts, even as she remains still after a mental command from me.

“Oh yeah~ She'll do just fine.” Izan cackles in his squeaky voice.

“Good, if you accidentally kill her I'm not giving you a replacement. You, Izan is your master now, you are to follow his orders as if they were my own.” I order even as I mentally change that order.

She'll be my eyes and ears when it comes to the horny goblin, Izan is definitely the kind of person I need to keep an eye on after all. If he tries anything, I'll know.

“Understood, Master.” she says immediately, bowing as her breasts bounce.

“Good, Izan go find a room and take your toy with you. I have work to do and your voice annoys me.” I order simply pointing at the door to the Kuoh estate, making him cackle again as he leads her away.

Grabbing the next statue, I get to work.

I've made a new type of Abomination after all, time to make a few more of them. They can help out at the Dantalion Castle, there's always work to be done after all and Aria will appreciate the extra hands.

And if my two prisoners go a bit quieter as they watch me work? Well, that's just a coincidence.

**\- Grayfia -**

Kuro was a... mysterious one, to say the least.

After picking a room, and coincidentally meeting the two slaves he brought to Kuoh, she intended to find him again to try and set some boundaries over how far he could push her before she pushed back.

To her surprise, he had simply vanished from the estate and she quickly found out how... in the cellar of the estate where he kept his wardstones (something she carefully avoided) there was a simple door, one that looked almost identical to every other door in the cellar.

And yet it reeked of magic, a kind she could not recognise despite her immense magical experience, and as her curiosity pushed her to investigate she discovered something rather interesting about this mysterious door.

She couldn't open it.

No matter how much force she put in, the door refused to budge.

How many forms of magic did this frankly weak brat possess? His personal magic was weak, holding less power than even the weakest devil in Rias's peerage, but he had so many forms of magic at his finger tips despite that fact.

Eventually, her investigations into this unknown magic were interrupted as it burst open, a tiny green creature walking out with a naked human girl behind him, the creature grinning wildly as he marched out.

“Oi, maid. Get out the way, I've got some fucking to do.” the creature ordered as she glared at it before she froze.

As a devil, souls were something she was familiar with, especially since she was old enough to remember when Devils took human souls to increase their own power before it was outlawed.

And this creature had two souls inside it, one weak and subdued by the other, far more powerful soul.

“Izan?” she asked, despite herself as she stared down at the possessed creature. Was it another of Kuro's creations, like his snake creatures? If so where did the smaller soul come from? It didn't feel human...

“In the flesh, heh... just not mine. Guess my presence is just so fucking memorable that even this weak form can't hide it. Now you gonna get out my way, bitch?” Izan asked making her scowl before she took a deep breath.

Izan took pleasure in getting a reaction, and as satisfying as killing him would be ow that he had a physical form, it wasn't worth the trouble... especially since he'd most likely just come right back.

“I see your grandson has found you a body that matches your soul, it suits you cretin.” Grayfia remarked even as she stood aside, allowing him to pass.

“Ain't very respectful for a maid are you?” Izan scoffed as she smirked.

“I will show you the exact amount of respect you deserve, no more and no less.”

“Eh, whatever, I'd spend the night arguing with you but I've got a slave girl to be fucking, come on pet. Have fun whoring yourself out to my grandson, 'Queen of Lucifer'. Bet you won't be feeling so royal with a Dantalion cock in you. Say hi to your wanna-be Lucifer pimp.” Izan cackled as he walked past her, making her clench her fists as she glared at the back of his tiny head, his high-pitched cackling heading back upstairs.

It would sting less if it wasn't so close to the truth.

Sirzechs had chosen to give a member of his peerage to another man for personal gain, something that wasn't that unusual among devils, but she was also his wife... and he hadn't even hesitated.

She was no whore, her legs would stay closed and her pussy would remain off limits... but the power balance between them was twisted, and despite his weakness he held the power over her, he'd proven that.

He wouldn't be satisfied with just looking, and she would have to decide between her pride and her duty.

She'd thought about why exposing herself to Kuro had angered and ashamed her so much, she was a Devil after all, modesty was a trait lost on most of her race.

She didn't even show him her naked mound, just her panties... and yet she had to force down the urge to attack him or look away in shame and embarrassment.

The reasoning for it was simple... she wasn't ashamed of letting the younger devil see her panties, she was ashamed that she had to take orders from someone so much younger and weaker.

It was pathetic, for the Strongest Queen to follow the orders of a mere boy, it went against everything she stood for.

And she would have to do so regardless.

She had grown up during the reign of the Old Satans, she had the very concept of Might Makes Right engraved into her very being, it was why she switched sides during the Civil War, Sirzechs, Ajuka, Serafall and Falbium were far stronger than anyone the Old Satan faction had left after the deaths of the Original Satans during the Great War.

  
The Old Satan faction were simply no longer the strong ones, and following the very code they claimed to uphold she decided to serve the strongest person she could find, her future husband and king.

And now that very man, whose power put him at the top of Devil society... had ordered her to serve a teen with barely a speck of magical power.

She didn't know how long she stood in front of the door, lost in her own thoughts, but as it opened again, her eyes widened in shock as Kuro and another of those green creatures walked out.

As Kuro's power brushed against her own, her mind raced in pure confusion... Kuro still wasn't strong, but in the hours it had been since she saw him last, he had almost doubled in power, his man was both more potent and in far greater amounts as it rolled of him.

Devils could get more powerful by training, magic was almost a muscle and the more it was used the stronger it became, the more you had to use... and while some people were born with more it didn't change the fact that anyone could increase their magical reserves with intense training...

But the increase in power she was feeling now should represent months of intense training at the very least, not hours.

It was because of this that her control slipped, for just a moment.

“How... what did you do? How did you get so much power in so little time?” Grayfia asked, realising her mistake the moment the words left her lips.

“Hmm? Oh, I just worked out for a bit.” Kuro said simply, blatantly lying even as her desire to know what the hell was behind that door intensified. “But I have a better question, Grayfia... what was it that got you into this mess in the first place again? Wasn't it... trespassing and sticking your nose into my business?” Kuro asked condescendingly, an amused look in his eyes. “And yet, not a day into your time here... you're already doing it again?”

“I... apologise, M-My Lord.” Grayfia said, forcing the words out of her mouth as she focused, making her expression blank.

“You know, when an animal makes a mistake that gets it hurt... it learns not to make the same mistake again. You are smarter than an animal, aren't you?” Kuro asked, walking towards her.

  
“...I am, My Lord.” Grayfia bit out, forcing down her anger at being talked down to like this.

“Then why don't you learn? Why can't you seem to remember your place? My business is just that... Mine. You are here to make up for your foolish mistakes, and I own you no answers.” Kuro drawled, stopping just in front of her as his cold eyes locked onto hers, showing no fear despite the power difference.

  
“I- I understand that, I apologise My Lord, I spoke out of turn.” Grayfia said, her tone submissive even as she clenched her fists hard enough to break the skin.

“Hmm, do you really?” Kuro asked, smirking slightly at her subservient tone. “Both of you, follow me.” he ordered, looking at his green follower as she nodded.

  
“Got it, Boss man.” she said, her tone less squeaky than Izan's.

“As you wish, My Lord.” Grayfia agreed reluctantly, following him as he set off through the manor.

Heading through one of the doors she hadn't explored yet, she froze as they entered the large personal open-aired hot spring, Serafall had clearly gone all out when she had this place renovated for Kuro...

“Right, Miza... go wash yourself, no offence but your kind don't exactly have a mastery of personal hygiene.” Kuro said as he gestured to the various hygiene products sitting on the shelves.

“Damn, looks like I picked the right guy to follow... living it large, huh Boss?” 'Miza' asked as she moved over, sniffing one of the soaps before biting it slightly, immediately recoiling. “Ugh, just cause it smells good doesn't mean it's food... got it.” she grumbled, grabbed a cloth as well before running across the room and jumping into the hot spring.

“And me.. My Lord?” Grayfia asked, keeping eye contact even as Kuro pulled off his t-shirt and undid his jeans, dropping them.

“You are here as my maid, and I've had a long night... you don't mind bathing me, do you?” Kuro asked with a smirk as he dropped his boxers, a large and semi-erect phallus hanging proudly as her eyes flickered down to it as he took a seat on one of the stools.

“...no, My Lord.” Grayfia said stonily as she reached for one of the wooden buckets, ready to fill it with hot water.

“Aren't you forgetting something? You don't want to get your uniform wet, do you?” Kuro asked tauntingly as he stared her down, making her pause before she took a step back.

“My apologies.” Grayfia half-growled, her hands moving to her corset robotically as she started to undo the buttons, Kuro smirking at her as he watched her slowly undress.

Removing her corset, she moved onto her shirt as she realised she was very correct before... she cared little for her modesty, having someone see her naked body was barely worth caring about... but being ordered to strip? Even indirectly? It stung her pride something fierce.

As she removed her shirt, she glared at Kuro as his eyes lingered on her bra-clad chest, the plain white bra she wore beneath her uniform struggling to contain her bountiful breasts.

“Hmm, such boring underwear really doesn't suit you... and we have something of a dress code for servants here. I'll let you off this time, but from now on I want you to either wear... appealing underwear or not wear underwear at all, okay?” Kuro asked making her nod even as she forced herself not to respond. “Wonderful, for now just get rid of that plain bra.” he ordered as she reached back, internally raging.

She was known throughout the underworld, and countless Devils would kill to see her so exposed... and he had the gall to call her underwear, even as plain as it was, boring?

Unclipping her bra, her breasts immediately bounced free, no longer willing to be confined as Kuro's eyes followed them, clearly enjoying the way her breasts bounced as she dropped her bra.

Not willing to stand around for his entertainment, she quickly unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor, her stockings quickly joining it. Doing this slowly would just add to his entertainment and it was easier to just... get it over with.

Pausing for just a moment, she hooked her fingers into her plain white panties and pulled them down quickly, stepping out of them and glaring at Kuro as she dared him to call her boring now.

She might not care too much about modesty, but the amount of men who had seen her in all her glory over the years could be counted on one hand, and only Sirzechs had truly gotten a proper look at her naked body.

And now here she was, standing before a brat lucky enough to get control of her, even temporarily.

As the cold night air brushed against her skin, she frowned at the feeling of her nipples hardening while she stood on display for Kuro, his shaft hardening at the sight of her pale exposed body.

  
“That's better, now you can start.” Kuro said happily as she grabbed the small bucket and filled it with hot water from the tap, feeling his eyes on her backside as she did so.

Moving back to him, she felt her breasts sway with every step, free from their tight confines, and as Kuro's shaft twitched she moved behind him, taking away his view as she poured the hot water over his naked body.

Grabbing a sponge and one of the shower gels (taking a moment to admit that Kuro or whoever bought his hygiene products had good taste as she recognised the brand as an expensive one from the underworld), she got to work cleaning her temporary lord, rubbing the sponge along his back.

Sirzechs better be thankful for all the shit she was going through on his orders.

**\- Kuro -**

Having Grayfia Lucifuge of all people wash my body is something of a power trip and despite the intense urge, I stop myself from making her use her breasts like in those soap house videos I've seen.

She very nearly refused to strip, and I shouldn't push my luck so early.

Oddly enough, the Underworld doesn't really have sex work in the same way the human world does, which surprised me. You wouldn't find any brothels in the cities despite it not being illegal, but that's mostly because of the population I think.

When you have such a relatively small population, I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't have a load of women (and possibly men, I don't judge) spending their days fucking for money, especially since I haven't really seen any signs of poverty in the Underworld either.

Not everyone is rich, but very few are poor.

It's basically rich pureblood nobles and middle-class reincarnated devils from what I can tell, though that is generalising quite a lot.

Every devil counts, and the New Satans don't want any reincarnated devils running back to the human world because they are poor, so they've put a lot of work into improving life in the Underworld, it's honestly impressive.

As Grayfia moves back in front of me, out of things to clean out of my view, I smirk at her wet and soapy breasts, she couldn't avoid getting wet herself as she rubbed me, and the view is... impressive.

Despite the distraction, it doesn't stop me from doing some work at the same time... specifically searching the entire estate with my detection wards...

As Grayfia cleans my arm, I deliberately push it slightest against her breasts, enjoying the feeling of her soft breasts pressing against my arm. She scowls but says nothing as she keeps cleaning it.

It almost takes my mind away from the problem... where the fuck is this spirit Izan was whining about? You'd think a murderous ghost would be kinda easy to find especially since I have a fucking Spirit ward around the estate to make sure Izan didn't wander off... but the only spectral being it is picking up is Izan.

Which is nice to know since it means it can detect spirits even if they are possessing people.

So where the fuck is this naked spirit with her ghost sword?

...Is Izan just batshit crazy?

You know what, I have the wards ready to find her if she shows up again and there's a chance that Izan is just a loony, so I'm gonna focus on what is important... Grayfia's tits.

I have no idea what it is that makes Devil girls so... busty, though there are exceptions to the rule as Sona proves, but almost all the other devils I've seen have ridiculously large breasts.

Rias, Akeno, even Serafall despite her small stature, but out of all of them, Grayfia has the biggest I've seen so far, or perhaps it is just seeing them utterly naked that makes them seem bigger than Akeno's?

Either way, as I watch her breasts press against my arm, the small pebble sized pink nipples poking over the top of my arm, I smile and thank Satan that Sirzechs was dumb enough to leave her with me.

Moving onto my chest, she stands a few feet in front of me and bends over at the waist to reach my chest, her breasts hanging as gravity does it's job (disproving my theory that Devil breasts are immune to the force of nature). She clearly doesn't want to be too close to the proudly erect shaft as she stares past me, quickly cleaning my chest, making me smile as I look at my new abs, they aren't fully developed yet but doubling my strength, endurance and dexterity has certainly made some changes to my body.

I think I'm even an inch or two taller now, and I'm certainly broader.

Grayfia doesn't share my appreciation of my changing body as she quickly finishes my chest before she glances down at my legs.

I can see the indecision in her eyes as she half-glares at me, but after a long moment she moves again, moving to her knees between my spread legs.

If looks could kill, and with the stupid powers of DxD I wouldn't be surprised, I'd be extremely dead as Grayfia moves onto my legs, lifting them almost roughly to clean the underside of them as she works her way down my leg.

Despite the chilly air and tense atmosphere, I can hear Miza splashing around in the background.

Moving onto my other leg, she is careful to keep her body from brushing against my throbbing erection as it hangs right in front of her, but surely she isn't that deluded.

“You missed a spot.” I point out calmly as she goes to rise, making her freeze even as her glare intensifies.

Locking eyes, we both wait for the other to fold first, but I've made my decision and after what seems like an eternity, she falls back to her knees, reaching forwards and grasping my shaft with her soft hand.

**-10 Affection with Grayfia for making her do this [-55/100]**

**+5 Obedience with Grayfia for reminding her of her situation [25/100]**

Grabbing her sponge again, she gets to work cleaning my shaft and balls even as her dainty fingers hold it in place, lifting it to give her access to my churning balls.

I am... lets just say extremely horny, but unlike Izan I am not a one pump chump, even as her hand moves down so she can clean the tip, slowly stroking my cock.

But it is over before I can truly enjoy it, Grayfia letting go and rising almost immediately as she backs away, grabbing a towel.

“You can dry yourself, I'm done.” Grayfia says, her tone icy cold. As I go to order her to dry me, I pause and smile.

“Of course, I'll be busy for a while so why don't you go turn in for the night, it's already late after all.” I say graciously as her eyes narrow, before she wraps herself in the towel, it barely containing her breasts, and grabs her clothes, leaving before I can change my mind.

Heh.

“She's kinda a bitch, huh Boss?” Miza asks as she paddles to the edge of the hot spring and pulls herself up, her tiny green breasts glistening as they come up out of the water.

“She's not used to taking orders, but she'll learn.” I say calmly as I stand up, walking towards her.

I've done plenty of work, and that means it is time to play.

“Heh, good luck with that, she scares the shit out of me.” Miza admits before her eyes lower down to my crotch, biting her lip as she moves back, allowing me to sit on the edge.

“Is there a problem?” I ask calmly as I smirk at her.

“Err, maybe? I know I said we'd make it fit but I'm just wondering if that's actually gonna fit inside me.” Miza admits as she moves closer, leaning down slightly as she stares at my hard cock, her face inches from it as her breath teases the sensitive flesh.

“I thought you said Goblins were stretchy?” I tease as she reaches forwards, taking my dick in one hand as her eyes widen. Her fingers try and wrap around my shaft but they can't meet on the other side, my girth is just a bit too much for that.

I'm... well endowed, and while my length alone is impressive, my girth makes it all the more intimidating for the goblin that is literally half my size as she bites her lip, focusing on the task at hand.

“We are... well, mostly! But that's a big cock, bigger than I expected, and it's gonna take some work to make it fit in me... at least without breaking anything. Guy goblins are lucky if they get a dick that's even a quarter as big as yours.” Miza admits as she starts to stroke it, her other hand reaching for my testes, her nimble fingers dancing along my shaft and massaging my balls. “Fuck it, here goes...” Miza says as she takes a deep breath before she leans forwards a bit more and plants her full light-green lips on my cock.

Goblins have two upturned fangs on either side of their mouth, but she is careful not to scratch me as she places light kisses along my manhood, working her way down, making me groan deeply.

I needed this.

Reaching the bottom, she sticks out her tongue and drags it along my cock back to the tip, her pink eyes locked with my own as she parts her lips and starts to take the tip between them, her jaw opening as wide as it can as she lets my cockhead slide into her warm and wet mouth.

It hits the back of her throat almost immediately making her eyes widen and water slightly as it begins to push into her tight throat, her small mouth simply unable to take more than the first few inches and despite her best efforts, she is forced to pull back, coughing slightly before she has even managed to take two-thirds of my dick.

Frowning to herself, she starts stroking it again as she kisses and licks the top half, both her small hands stroking the lower half.

Credit where it's due, she isn't giving up as she makes sure to drool on my cock as much as possible, rubbing the saliva along it in preparation for what is to come.

“That's it, good girl.” I say with a groan as I place a hand on her blonde hair, stroking it slightly as she laps at my dick. “Move back and open your mouth.” I order as I feel my climax quickly approaching.

Pulling back, she wraps both hands around my shaft and strokes wildly, her mouth wide open with her tongue hanging out waiting for the reward for her effort.

Grunting slightly, I watch as my dick starts to twitch in her hand before it finally bursts, a string of thick white seed shooting out and hitting Miza on the chin, her aim slightly off as she quickly corrects it, even as it starts to drip down onto her breasts.

The second shot is far more accurate as it lands almost perfectly on her tongue and in her open mouth, only a little missing and hanging from her lip. Pausing for a moment to show the cum on her tongue, she closes her mouth and audibly gulps several times, reopening her mouth and sticking her tongue back out, no trace of cum in sight as she smirks almost proudly.

“Not bad, thought it'd taste worse to be honest.” Miza admits as she rises to her full height, still staring up at me despite my seated position before she looks back at my still hard cock. “Right... now we just gotta fit that thing in me.” Miza says, gulping slightly as she looks at her naked and wet pussy, the tiny green slit hopefully prepared for the package headed its way. “I know you're the boss, but can I try and set the pace this time?” Miza asks making me chuckle.

“Miza, I'm a lazy bastard. Of course you can do the work.” I deadpan making her smirk.

“Making others do your job ain't lazy, it's just being smart Boss.” Miza says making me chuckle even as she walks closer, her brows furrowed in thought.

**+5 Affection with Miza for not wrecking her tiny green pussy [25/100]**

Sometimes I think you have too much fun with those Isis.

**( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**Systems need fun as well, and I don't have a body so I have to make do with what I have.**

Heh, can't blame you for having fun.

Focusing back on Miza, I smirk as she moves towards me, practically climbing me to get above my cock, her small breasts pressed against my chest, her hardened nipples digging into my stomach.

Reaching up and gripping my shoulders, she starts to move and lower herself down, pausing as her slit comes in contact with my still throbbing cock, taking a deep breath as I reach down and grab her surprisingly supple goblin ass.

Taking a moment to prepare herself, she starts to lower herself again, her lower lips spreading to allow my dick to push into her almost painfully tight cunt.

When I say she is impossibly tight, I really do mean it as her velvety insides constrict around my shaft, squeezing it harder than anything I've ever felt before. Helia is skilled with her mouth, and there hasn't been a day gone by when I haven't had her or Aria on their knees under my desk, but feeling this tiny cunt clamp down on my shaft is a different feeling altogether.

Both are enjoyable, and after a moment I realise I don't have to decide which is better because Aria, Helia and Miza are all mine. Why chose when I can just have all of the above.

Pausing as the first couple of inches enter her, she takes a shaky breath and ever so slowly slides down my shaft, her tiny pussy taking inch after inch of my length despite the size difference.

Moving her back a bit and looking down at her stomach, I can see the outline of my cock start to appear as her stomach bulges, a loud moan leaving her mouth as she tries to take my entire length, only a couple of inches left outside.

  
“You okay there?” I ask as she pauses again, panting slightly as she looks up at me with wide eyes.

“I-I'm fine, Boss... just starting to realise those stories of goblin girls fucking trolls and ogres ain't as unrealistic as I thought.” Miza admits as she takes the plunge, a load moan escaping her as she slams down and takes the rest of my cock in one go. “And I thought elf girls were the ones made for fucking.” she moans out as she pauses, my entire shaft inside her tight quim. “Fuck... I've never felt this full before~”

“Heh, guess goblin girls were built to get fucked as well... you ready to really get started?” I ask as she pauses, looking down at the bulge on her stomach my shaft has made.

“F-fuck it, go wild Boss man.” Miza agrees as I smirk, using my grip on her ass to lift her back off my cock until only the tip is still inside... right before I simply drop her, groaning as she slides right back down my shaft, much faster this time, my cock slick with her juices.

Losing my (second) virginity to a goblin isn't quite how I saw it happening, but damn if it doesn't feel good.

**\- Later -**

Slamming my hips forward, Miza lets out a loud but muffled scream into my bedsheets as she presses her face into them, sticking her ass in the air as much as she can on her knees as I kneel behind her, my body towering over her own.

“F-fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck.” Miza mumbles as I go to town, rutting into her incredibly tight asshole, forcing it to stretch to accommodate my shaft.

Miza wasn't kidding about goblins being... stretchy, and despite the large log of meat currently rearranging her intestines, she shows no pain, moaning and whimpering as her next orgasm crashes over her, leaving her a shuddering mess.

Her pussy, still gaping slightly, leaks a small river of cum from our previous session, staining the thankfully enchanted bedsheets. They'll be clean soon enough, that's the magic of the Ultimate Bed.

Groaning myself, I bottom out inside her ass one last time as my dick gives one last attempt at an orgasm, twitching as the smallest load is deposited inside the tight green ass.

Taking a moment to catch my breath, I pull back and groan as my dick escapes its fleshy prison with a pop, falling onto the bed as I lay on my back, barely able to move.

What time is it?

Looking out of the window, I pause as I see the sun glaring back at me accusingly.

Oh.

Moving between my legs, Miza lays on the bed and props herself up on her and nuzzles my cock.

“Boss, anyone ever told you that you have too much energy?” Miza asks as she kisses my shaft slightly.

“...usually they tell me I'm too lazy.” I admit as I lean back, feeling my eyes attempting to close.

“Hehe, guess you just needed the right motivation... gonna be sore for a week.” Miza groans as I pull her up onto my chest. “Then I'll probably be bloated for a month.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, you came in my pussy like... four, five times?” Miza says casually as my eyes shoot open. “Err... you do know that goblins are super fertile right?” she asks after a moment. “You know those days that human girls have every month were they are easy to knock up? Well, goblins don't really have that... or I guess we always have that?”

“...Devils are incredibly infertile.” I point out making her pause before she shrugs.

“Well, give it a couple of days and we'll know. Goblin pregnancies only last a month and it starts showing almost immediately.” Miza says with a bored shrug.

“Then what about Shanx?”

How would a goblin prostitute work if she was going to be constantly pregnant?

“Oh, her? Yeah, she uses some herbs from the forest in her tea that stop her from getting knocked up. Bad for business I guess.” Miza explains, still sounding utterly casual about the possibility of her getting knocked up. “Eh, don't worry about it boss, goblins grow fast so any kid will be old enough to look after themselves in like a couple of months, then you can just send them to the camp to earn their keep or something.”

...Goblins aren't the best at parenting, are they?

“Fuck it, I'm too tired to care right now anyway.” I admit making her laugh.

  
“That's the spirit boss, if it happens it happens.” Miza says, closing her eyes and resting her head on my chest.

As much as I want to go to sleep, I have one thing I need to do before I do so...

Still, this is what I have a familiar for.

**\- Aria -**

Watching the silver-haired maid walk away, she narrowed her eyes as she watched her leave.

She didn't like this Grayfia, and despite the older and much more powerful woman's pride, unless Kuro said so then Aria was still in charge of the servants and slaves of the house, no matter how much it irked the devils pride to take orders from her. Was she scared when the glass started frosting up? Yes... but if she folded, she had a feeling she'd never get her position back.

She didn't like it, she didn't like the fact that Kuro suddenly had countless people around him, it made her plans harder than they had to be... if they were still at the castle she'd be one of only two women around for him to pay attention to, but now she was simply one of many... and that was something she had to do something about.

She couldn't get rid of the other women, but she could at least try and find a way to increase her own standing in Kuro's eyes...

As she plotted, a flash of purple flames made her jump before she calmed almost immediately watching the lazy bird her master called his familiar drop a piece of paper on the table next to her before vanishing again, no doubt heading back to her perch to sleep.

Much like her master who was no doubt going to sleep the day away, it was almost reassuring to see her beloved Kuro acting like himself again even if he had clearly been doing... something last night.

Reading the message from her master, her lips quirked as she looked back in the direction Grayfia had stormed off.

She couldn't really do anything to the immensely powerful woman... but she could provide her master with the tools he needed to put her in her place.

**\- Grayfia -**

“You summoned me, My King?” Grayfia asked as she teleported into Sirzechs private study, making him smile at her calmly. She didn't smile back making him chuckle slightly.

“Ahh, good. I have a small job for you. I need something to be delivered to our new friend, and I believe it will be better if it comes from you as you already are staying in his estate, Kuro has had more than enough people barging in recently after all.” Sirzechs said happily, pulling a letter out of his desk drawer and passing it over to her.

“...is that the only reason you called for me?” she asked, looking at the letter, and the two seals on it... the seals of the offices of Lucifer and Beelzebub.

“Hmm? Oh, Millicas is fine, I took him to one of those lovely human theme parks, we really should make a devil equivalent sometime. He sends his love, of course.” Sirzechs said casually as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“...I see, how long will I be remaining with Dantalion?”

“ _Lord_ Dantalion, and quite possibly the future Lord Gäap and Leviathan as well, given Ajuka has already tested the blood and confirmed Izan's claims. Do remember to treat him with respect, Grayfia... it was your lack of respect that endangered our relationship with him after all.” Sirzechs scolded as she stared at him. “With him being the confirmed descendant of one of the Original Satans, we have to tread carefully. It won't be long before the Old Satan Faction hears of this, they have spies everywhere and Ajuka is some of his staff are spying for them but he hasn't been able to root them out yet, both the knowledge of Kuro's lineage and the knowledge of the fate may all share, both of these things will become public sooner or later, and we can't have the dissidents use your attitude to convince Kuro to join his only living family. I'm trying to have Katerea Leviathan tracked down, but she seems to have vanished.” Sirzechs admitted, scowling slightly before it vanished behind a smile.

“...it could be a coincidence.” Grayfia offered, frowning herself at the thought of one of the Old Satan Factions leaders simply disappearing. That was never a good sign.

“And it most likely is, Katerea is a minor problem at best, usually barely worth paying attention to despite her lineage. But if she has already heard about Kuro's own lineage, by some method we aren't aware of or worse from the Old Satan Factions mysterious benefactor, she could become a major problem. If she convinces Kuro to join his _family_ a lot of plans are going to fall through, I have people looking into Iaxes and Nyra Dantalion's death, if we can prove the Old Satan Faction were responsible then we can turn him against them but I can't just frame them since Kuro may just summon his parents spirits and ask them, if I claim it was one group and the murder victim themselves say something else it would be a disaster.” Sirzechs said, frowning to himself. “So to answer your question? You'll be remaining by Kuro's side to keep the Old Satan Faction at bay, until such a time when the threat of them stealing him away from under us is dealt with.”

“Why not have Kuro call his parents spirits?” Grayfia asked making Sirzechs laugh bitterly.

  
“Because I have no idea who killed them, and while I believe the Old Satans were involved... there are plenty of Pillar Lords who would rather keep the number of Pillar Houses small to keep their power and importance, my own father among them. With so few Houses left, the few lords remaining have a lot more power and land than they would if all the Houses remained, and they know it... while many are happy to have one return to the fold, more than a few are not. That's not even getting into the possibility that it was a House that had a grudge against the Gäap family. If we have him call the spirits of his parents back and they point the finger at the pillar houses, what do you think his response would be? If I find the guilty party among our people, I will deal with them first and tell Kuro once they've already been captured or killed, but I'd rather know before Kuro does... not at the same time.” Sirzechs explained. “I have no idea if he has already summoned them, nor do I know what their relationship was like, but I won't be the one to push him to do so if it could ruin everything.”

“...I see, so I'm to remain with him?”

“You are, I have plans to mend the rift between our race and stop a civil war from destroying us, and Kuro has quickly become a lynchpin in them. The revelation of the Hell that awaits us could cause utter chaos, or I might be able to use it but that relies on you delivering that letter to Kuro. Ajuka was... very interested in the idea of an afterlife for Devils, enough that he even called on an... acquaintance as well, but with it being family magic it means we are treading on thin ice trying to experiment without Kuro's agreement and assistance. That's what the letter is, a request for Kuro to take part in an experiment with Ajuka and his acquaintance to discover as much about this afterlife as we can. Who goes there? Is it as bad for everyone as it was for Izan or was he just a special case? We have may questions, and no answers.” Sirzechs said with a smile. “I'll be counting on you to ensure Kuro accepts.”

“I... understand, My King.” Grayfia said, bowing slightly as she pocketed the letter. “I- while I am serving him, is there anything you wish for me to avoid?”

As her husband leaned back, he sighed slightly.

“No, your role is to serve him to the best of your abilities, keeping a watchful eye on those who would do him harm or lure him away. I understand you do not enjoy this Fia, but remember what is at stake here.” Sirzechs said simply.

  
“And if he wishes for me to... serve him in a more personal manner?” she asked, making him chuckle again, a cynical sound.

  
“Sexually, you mean? Fia, do you know what the usual punishment for a member of a Peerage attempting to steal family secrets from another Pillar House is?” Sirzechs asked, making her pause before she shook her head. “Death, the execution of the Peerage member at the very least. Instead, your punishment was serving him temporarily to make up for your mistake, an incredibly light punishment in the grand scheme of things, especially considering the scandal should the other Lords hear about the Queen of a Satan committing such a crime. The biggest reason you got away with such a light punishment is simple, you are an incredibly beautiful woman and Kuro is a young lustful Devil. I made that offer knowing full well it would lead Kuro taking advantage of his power over you, to save you from the incredibly unpleasant position you put both yourself, and me, into.” Sirzechs explained, his voice stern.

Staying silent, she stared at her husband and King, shocked to hear him simply confirm it. Shame, disgust, anger, and shock ran through her, even as relief joined the mix, realising now how serious her mistake had been. Sirzechs would not have allowed her executed, Devil-king could not lose a fighter of his skill, but if it had become public... lose-lose didn't quite describe the severity of the situation.

“I... I see.” Grayfia asked, her voice quiet.

“I imagine you do. I realise this is unpleasant, you've always been a prideful woman, Fia... but as one of the leaders of our race, I cannot put your pride or dignity above the survival of our kind. No one devil, or one family for that matter, should be put above the good of the whole race.” Sirzechs said, his tone soft as he gave her a sad smile.

“And yet you constantly interfere in her engagement for Rias.” Grayfia muttered, not even really meaning to.

“Because very little good, if any, will come of Rias and Riser's marriage. Certainly, both families would benefit for it but the race as a whole will gain no benefit from Rias being in a unhappy marriage. Make no mistake, if Rias marrying Riser would improve the position of our race, I'd marry them myself today. It's my job as the Satan Lucifer to put my race above everything else, even my family, even myself. It is what makes the difference between me and my predecessor, the original Lucifer ruled with an iron fist and always put himself first, doing whatever benefited him even at the expense of his friends, allies and race. I will not be the second coming of that man.” Sirzechs swore, making her smile slightly despite herself.

His power had drawn her to him, but it had been his personality that had made her fall for him, a personality that had endured the centuries even if he had grown more cynical after so many years in charge.

“I understand, I will... do my part to keep Kuro on our side.” Grayfia promised quietly, making him smile slightly.

Saying something and doing it was very different however, and pride had always been her greatest flaw.

**\- Kuro -**

“Lord Dantalion, please wake up.” a cold voice said as I groan into the pillow, my goblin body-pillow gone to get something to eat. Helia adapts well to the bullshit that is my life and had no problem showing our newest resident around.

It's still dark outside, so why are people bothering me?

“...Why?” I ask as I look at Grayfia, making her scowl slightly as she holds out a fancy looking letter.

“I have been asked to deliver this by my King... and you have slept for almost thirty-six hours. This letter is urgent, and the sender cannot be kept waiting because you want to hibernate.” Grayfia says sternly, scolding me even as my eyes shoot open.

Checking the clock proves her words true... I ended my fun with Miza at around seven am and it's eight pm now... the next day.

Whoops. I thought it was yesterday... kinda misplaced a day. It happens.

“Fine, fine. I take it this is important?” I ask as I sit up.

“It has the seal of two Satans, half the leaders of our race. Yes, it is very important.” Grayfia points out as I look at it.

“Ugh, go to my office and wait for me there.” I order as I get up, watching her leave, biting back a response.

Getting dressed, I can't help but think something is... wrong.

As I pull my shirt on, I immediately realise the problem.

Where the fuck is Izan?

Heading out of my room, I make a stop at the room he picked for himself before going to deal with Grayfia.

Opening the door, I pause as I look over the scene before me.

...summoning Izan back, I simply gesture at the room with a tired stare.

“ _There's no ghost Izan, you're crazy Izan._ Look at what that spirit bitch did to my body!” Izan growls as he gestures to the meat puppet he was using.

Turning back to the goblin, or to be precious the largest part of the goblin that is in one place, I take a moment to admit he might have been right.

Kicking the mutilated corpse slightly, I look over the slashed up body, glancing around the room at the different bits and pieces she's left around... chunks of flesh and limbs scattered across the room is a nice touch.

“Seriously, how did you piss her off so much?” I ask.

“I didn't even fucking do anything! I was balls deep in that useless bitch when she appeared behind me and started slashing. Servant my ass, didn't even try and help.” Izan growls. “Didn't even get to finish...”

“I was made by my master for a non-combat role.” his sex toy says simply, unharmed as she stands in the corner of the room covered in goblin blood. “I possess no combat skills what so ever.”

“So, she's killed you twice... for no reason?” I ask sceptically, making him shrug.

“Look, I've pissed off a whole lot of people, but I've never seen this bitch before in my life... or afterlife. If I had, I'd be mocking her. Look, can you just get me a new body already, it feels a lot colder now that I remember what having a body feels like.” Izan asks after a moment. “Please? Pretty fucking please? Also, can we stick this ghost bitch in a body so we can see how she likes a bit of impalement.”

“I wonder if she can just instinctively tell that you're an asshole and that's why she's trying to kill you?”

“Can't be, if she was after assholes she'd have gutted you in your sleep.”

“...fair.”

**\- Bonus Scene – Cat got your tongue? -**

Infiltrating the Underworld when you were one of the most wanted Devils alive was... troublesome.

But while people could call her teasing, mischievous and even lazy... no one could accuse her of being incompetent and after considerable effort and risk, she'd done it... she'd returned to the Underworld for the first time in years.

But that left her with another problem, who was she supposed to find someone using realm magic when she didn't have a clue what realm magic looked or felt like?

She'd tried eavesdropping on important and connected figures, and found nothing, she'd even broken into the records office in the capital, risking life and limb to get the information that would stop Ophis from disintegrating her on a whim.

And she had found... nothing.

She was at a loss.

As a void appeared next to her, she jumped back with a yelp as she called on her Senjutsu before immediately dropping it as the Gothic Loli of Death appeared beside her, the blank eyes staring through her.

“...not in the underworld.” Ophis said simply, making Kuroka pause.

“W-what do you mean, my lady?”

Please, please don't mean what she thought it meant.

“They've moved. In the human world. Japan.” Ophis droned, her tone unchanging.

**\- Kuro -**

**-30 Affection with Kuroka for wasting her time [-30/100]**

Staring at the notification, I can't help but feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

What the fuck did I do?

**Authors Note: To those who complained that the dungeon stuff was boring? Tough shit, deal with it.**

**Dungeons are gonna be a regular thing, especially since they are the best way for Kuro to level and gain items. Some people said they reminded them of the Overlord parts from old Kuro, and that that was a bad thing, but jokes on you cause the Overlord parts were my favourite to write.**

**Simply put? I do what I want.**

**Also, I'm considering focusing this fic until it gets to ten chapters, I like getting my stories to a nice length before I go back to rotating, but that doesn't mean Sorcerer's Ambition or New Game Plus are abandoned.**


	8. Desperate Measures

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**Pre-Chapter AN: I'm gonna piss some people off with this one.**

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 08: Desperate Measures**

“Well, Boy? I thought you had wards to stop this from happening? Why is some psycho ghost bitch running around the house like she owns the place?” Izan asks as I look over the wardstone. “And why does she want me gone so much? The fuck did I do?”

  
“Grandfather... quick question, where did you get that school uniform.” I ask, gesturing at his servant, making her tilt her head as I look over the Kuoh academy uniform she is wearing.

“It was in one of the rooms, and it was dusty as fuck so it's not like anyone was using it.” Izan explains as I face palm.

Well, I know who the ghost is now for certain now. Rin Yamaoka, the murdered daughter whose old room Izan has claimed for his own... and whose clothes he dressed his sex toy in.

“But what's that got to do with- Oh.” Izan deadpans. “Ahh. Well, she's still a fucking bitch.”

“Hmm, I know how she's getting in by the way... the ward prevents spirits from physically passing through it, but she never is... she's simply returning from whichever afterlife she is supposed to be in within the wards, and when she leaves she isn't leaving the estate... she's leaving the mortal realm entirely and I don't have a ward to stop that.” I admit making him frown.

“Me neither, never had to deal with ghosts before.” Izan reluctantly admits.

“Hmm... but, it looks like she always reforms in the same place.” I mumble, looking over the records of the detection ward. “Probably where she died, so I can do something about this. I just need to make a new spirit ward around the spot where she died and she should be trapped when she returns.” I say, twisting the wards slightly, forming a small circle around a spot in the garden, just outside the master bedroom window.

“We should stick this bitch in a physical body and see how she likes being impaled.” Izan grumbles as I work, making me roll my eyes. “I mean with our dicks. We should rape her.”

“I got that, thank you.”

I'm keeping Grayfia waiting, but she needs to learn that I do what I want. She's the servant here.

“Right, now your body. I think I can fix this mess.” I say as I start gathering the severed limbs and chunks, moving them onto the bed.

“Can't I just go grab a human body? Being so small is fucking weird.”

“No, because I find you being a goblin entertaining.” I say as I start warping the dead flesh, I normally need to work with living flesh but all I really need to do is force some semblance of life into the cold body as I put it back together.

It's really not that hard to reattach a limb.

“You're an asshole.” Izan comments as he watches me stick all the pieces back where they belong, closing the gaping wounds. “Can you at least make a few... tiny adjustments to this shitty body?”  
  


“I'm not fleshcrafting your dick just because it's too small.”

“Oi! It's not _my dick._ It's the goblins, mine was much bigger.” Izan shouts making me chuckle.  
  
“Mhmm, sure it was.” I say condescendingly.

“Call Levi, she'll tell you.”

“I am not calling one of the original Satans just so you can try and prove you had a big dick.” I deadpan as I put the finishing touches to the corpse, before frowning.

It is back in one piece, more or less... but Izan can't possess a corpse, and there is no real semblance of life in the body.

How hard can it really be to bring a body back to life? It's not like I have to bring the goblin back, I just need an empty shell to stick Izan in.

Focusing, I move my magic through the small body and into its internal organs, slowly starting them up again as the heart starts to beat.

The problem is that without a working brain, it will stop the moment I stop manually forcing his organs to work, but I can fix that.

Probably.

“Oi, get in the goblin.” I order, making Izan scowl even as he flies into his body. “Right, I'm going to stop and there is a small chance you're gonna die from organ failure immediately, so... good luck?”  
  


“Wait, what?” Izan asks as I pull my magic back from him, making him shoot up in a panic.

“Huh, you're actually alive? Damn I'm good.” I say with a smirk even as he stares at me.

“So... about that dick upgrade?”

“I'm leaving. Next time try not pissing off angry spirits by fucking someone in her bed... and in her clothes.” I advise with a sigh.

“Oh fuck that, I'm not leaving this room until every outfit the bitch had is covered in goblin cum.”

“...if you die again, I'm not giving you a body.”

**\- Grayfia -**

Standing in Kuro's office, she forced down her anger as she watched the clock slowly tick away/

She knew what Kuro was doing, keeping her waiting for him like this... she had seen Sirzechs do the exact same thing as he made people wait outside his office unnecessarily.

It didn't make it piss her off any less to be made to wait for him to deign to give her, and a message from two fucking Satans, some of his time.

As the door finally opened, she turned her glare to the source of all her recent troubles as he walked in, yawning slightly as he carried a wrapped package under his arm.

Moving to his desk, he sat down and put the package on the desk in front of him.

“Right, pass me the letter.” Kuro ordered as he held his hand out, taking the letter and opening it quickly.

This kind of letter was the type that needed to be carefully read through, it wasn't every day that a Satan deemed to send a Lord a letter after all.

Watching him clearly skim it, she forced down her instinctive reaction.

“Ugh, this is a pain in the ass.” Kuro groaned putting the letter down and sighing. “And it is your fault.”

“...and why would that be.” Grayfia asked, gritting her teeth.

“Ajuka Beelzebub wants to use my ability to summon spirits to find out more about the afterlife for beings like us, something he only knows about thanks to you barging in.” Kuro explained as he leaned back.

“Surely you can understand his concern? It has been common knowledge for as long as Devils have existed that there is nothing waiting for us after death, to have that common conception suddenly changed could cause... a considerable amount of unrest. No one wants to think about their family and friends suffering, let alone that they will be doing the same should they perish.” Grayfia said quickly, even knowing she was lying.

  
Ajuka was very much a scientist, and he wouldn't be able to stand not knowing.

She highly doubted Ajuka actually cared about the fates of dead devils.

“Oh, I get that... he's even promised 'suitable payment for my time and skills' but it's still a pain in the ass, having three Satans paying attention to me isn't my idea of a good time. Apparently you know where his main lab in the capital city is? He wants me to send my reply through you, and have you guide me there should I accept.” Kuro said glancing at the letter.

“I do, My King and Satan Beelzebub are close allies and I have been there often enough over the years, it's a rare honour to be invited to his personal lab.” Grayfia admitted making Kuro shrug.

“Eh, it's still a pain.” Kuro drawled. “I'll think about it but I have more important things to deal with right now.” Kuro deadpanned making her stare at him in disbelief.

A Satan was waiting for a reply... and he had more important things to deal with.

“What could you possibly be more important?” Grayfia scoffed, making him smirk.

“Making sure certain unruly maids are doing as they were told... you do remember what I said before, don't you? I think it is time to check that you actually listened.” Kuro said with a smirk as his eyes moved down to her body.

Freezing, she remembered exactly what he was talking about.

He told her to either wear 'sexy' underwear or don't wear underwear at all.

A command she had ignored as she deemed it foolish, she did have sexy underwear of course, but they were saved for special occasions, and she had no desire to go naked beneath her maid uniform on his orders.

“Well? Lose the uniform, I'm sure you weren't dumb enough to not listen to me after all.” Kuro drawled, staring at her for a moment as she stared back, her hands unmoving. “Grayfia, I gave you an order... lose the uniform, Now.” Kuro ordered, his voice cold as he stared her down.

Moving slowly, she unbuttoned her uniform robotically as she glared at him, her corset and shirt coming off to Kuro's amusement as he tutted at her, her plain black bra clearly not meeting his standards as he shook his head.

Her skirt fell next, and as he looked over the plain black matching underwear, he shook his head condescendingly.

“Do you perhaps not understand the meaning of the word 'sexy', Grayfia? Or is this what gets your Kings engine running?” Kuro asked mockingly as he stood up, walking around his desk.

As he walked up to her, she bit down her scathing response.

“Well, I asked you a question? Do you not remember why you are here? When I tell you to do something, I expect it done, especially something as simple as this. Or would you rather I send you back to your king a failure, unable to follow simple commands. Then you can explain to Sirzechs, Serafall and Ajuka why I went back to my castle, that you were so stubborn or just plain stupid to do as you were told.” Kuro said coldly as she felt her heart skip a beat in panic.

“I... I apologise, my lord. I didn't bring any of my... sexy underwear here, when I next head home I can get my-” Grayfia said quickly, using the first excuse that came to mind.

  
“No, it's too late for that I think. You had your options and you clearly didn't listen...” Kuro said as he stopped right in front of her. “Lose the bra, now.”

She didn't know if he'd really leave Kuoh over such a stupid thing... but she found herself unwilling to test him as she reached back and quickly unclipped her bra, letting it drop as her breasts bounced free, making Kuro smile as his eyes lingered on her milky-white tits.

“From now on, unless I specifically say otherwise I don't want you wearing underwear, is that clear?” Kuro asked, reaching forwards and grasping one of her breasts roughly, squeezing it.

Unable to stop herself from scowling, she forced herself to remain perfectly still as this brat molested her naked chest, his fingers digging into her supple flesh as he squeezed and groped.

“...it is.” Grayfia bit out as he let go of her chest.

“Good.” Kuro said simply as he took her arm and pulled her towards his desk. He was surprisingly strong for a young devil, but she could have easily resisted.

If she had such a choice.

Instead, she had to let the boy manipulate her body as he bent her over, her breasts pressing against the cold wood.

Looking back, she gave him a warning glare as he stood right behind her, his covered crotch pressing against her ass, his erection brushing against her as his jeans tried to restrain it, before he took a step back.

Smirking at her, even as she glared at him, he gripped the back of her panties and simply... pulled, the regular cloth tearing at his supernatural strength, her panties ripped away leaving her ass and pussy exposed as he tossed them to the side.

“Do you think I'm stupid Grayfia? Do you honestly think I don't know that Sirzechs sent you here to keep an eye on me? I'm willing to bet he told you to try and make sure I accepted the offer from Ajuka... and I'm also willing to bet you've already been home and deliberately brought your most boring underwear to spite me, these aren't the same ones you were wearing before after all... and I doubt you found any in your... sizes around here.” Kuro drawled, his hand resting on her ass, pulling back to spank her slightly as she stayed silent, even as his fingers started to move closer to her core, brushing against her lower lips. “You're a prideful stuck-up bitch, but tell me something Grayfia... do you feel prideful now, bent over my desk?”

“I.. no, my lord.” Grayfia practically spat out.

“And let me ask you something else... lets say, hypothetically, I decided to go to Sirzechs and complain about your disobedience, saying that I wanted to fuck you to put you in your place... what do you think your beloved husband and king would say in response? Would he defend your honour, or do you think he'd order you to get on your back and spread your legs?” Kuro asked as he undid his belt with his free hand, his fingers sliding along her slit as it slowly grew wet to his touch.

As his jeans and boxers fell, she stared back at him with growing panic. She couldn't push him away, she couldn't attack him... and his shaft was resting on her buttocks.

“No answer? Or do you just not want to say it out loud, because we both know the answer to that question already.” Kuro said, gripping his shaft and slapping it against her ass a couple of times as he brought his other hand up, looking at the slightly sticky liquid covering his fingers with a smirk, licking them clean before he leaned over her, whispering into her ear. “You can call yourself a maid, a wife... even a queen, but right now? You're a whore, being pimped out for the good of your king and our people. Remember that when you are feeling prideful, when you are looking down on me... because for all your power, I could take you here and now and we both know you'd have no choice but to spread your legs and think of the underworld.” Kuro whispered into her ear, his shaft caught between her buttocks as he grinded against her, his length rubbing against her wet pussy.

Holding back a moan as he grinded into her, she stared back silently, unable to refute his words.

“So, I want you to apologise for looking down on me, and promise to be a good girl from now on... and if I think you are being sincere, we can forget about all this and move on... and if not? Your lower lips can do the apologising for you instead.” Kuro said teasingly, pulling back slightly as the tip of his shaft pressed against her pussy. “That's fair, isn't it? I know you don't want this, and as the kind lord that I am, I'm giving you a chance to get out of it, or would you rather I call your king and ask permission to fuck you over my desk, I do have his number after all.”

Staring at him, she thought about what best to say. She was never one of the devils that excelled at silver-tongued words, but as she felt the head of his dick started to push forwards slightly, spreading her pussy open she realised she'd never had this kind of incentive before.

“T-that won't be necessary, my lord... I truly apologise for my actions and disrespectful attitude, my king is far more... tolerant of my attitude and I am too used to serving him. I swear I will reign in my arrogance in the future.” Grayfia said quickly, her mind focused on the dick pressing against her entrance.

“And...” Kuro said teasingly as he smiled as her, groping her ass slightly.

  
“And... and I promise to be more obedient, to take your orders more seriously.” she continued, seeing his eyebrow raise slightly, his dick pushing forwards barely half an inch making her eyes widen. “And I promise to be a... Good Girl from now on.” she said quietly, making him chuckle, shame filling her body even as he pulled back, his shaft moving away from her exposed cunt.

“There, was that so hard?” Kuro asked as he stepped away from her, smiling at her almost kindly. “Just remember, I might not be the best person to be stuck serving... but I could be far worse if I was more like my honoured grandfather.”

Rising from the desk, she turned around to face him, using her arms to cover her exposed privates as he smirked.

  
“I... understand, thank you.” Grayfia said quietly, thrown off by the treatment she was receiving. She wasn't lying, Sirzechs basically let her do whatever she wanted for the most part, and no one would treat the wife of a Satan so degradingly.

She ruthlessly ignored the trail of arousal leaking down her leg as Kuro smirked at her.

“Now, that package I brought... I want you to open it, it's for you after all.” Kuro drawled, his eyes looking over her naked body.

Turning around again, she reached for the package quickly even as she felt his eyes on her backside, tearing it open to reveal a black cloth.

Lifting it out of the packaging, she felt her heart drop as she looked over the outfit in her hands, she forced herself not to break her word already and glare at the grinning Kuro as she turned it over in her hands.

It was... similar to her own outfit, the dark blue replaced with black... and eighty percent of the material was removed.

“Is there a problem? If you'd prefer you can simply not wear it...or anything else.” Kuro offered easily as she sighed.

Her new motto of 'It could be worse' repeated in her head as she pulled the incredibly tight maid dress over her head, struggling to fit in the small outfit as she pulled it down.

Despite her best efforts, her breasts were practically bursting from the low cut dress, and no matter how she pulled it down it barely covered her ass, her lack of underwear clear to see for anyone paying attention.

“There we go, that other uniform covers far too much of your sexy body and I just couldn't stand it.” Kuro said approvingly as he walked forwards, placing his hand on her exposed thigh and sliding it up, not quite enough to reach her still wet core. “It suits you, far more than that boring outfit you usually wear.” Kuro said appreciatively.

“...thank you, my lord.” Grayfia said, trying to sound sincere even as he stroked her leg and thigh, smiling at her Kuro leaned forwards slowly, his face approaching hers.

It could be worse, and knowing that she did nothing to avoid the kiss as their lips connected, his tongue immediately demanding entrance to her mouth as her lips reluctantly parted.

The kiss was rough, domineering, as Kuro's tongue dominated her own, her unwillingness to truly return the kiss allowing him to violate her mouth, the taste of berries on his tongue.

Probably one he'd stolen from his familiar, he liked teasing the lazy Phoenix from what she had seen.

Breaking the kiss, he squeezed her thigh and took a step back, smiling at her.

“Well, since you've been such a good girl I suppose I can give you what you want... tell Ajuka I accept, at the very least I'll hear him out other what he wants me to do... and what he is offering in return in person. I have something to take care off now anyway.” Kuro said, glancing down at his erection. “Unless you'd prefer to help~”

“...I will deliver you message immediately.” Grayfia said quickly, backing away as he chuckled.

Right after she changed outfits, she wasn't meeting her husbands co-worker dressed like some slut.

“You do that.” Kuro drawled as he watched her form a magical circle, chuckling. “Also, if you manage to find some underwear that you think I'll find more sexy that having you wear nothing beneath your new uniform, I'd be happy to reconsider my order.” Kuro added as she left.

...Although, as she arrived back at her home in the underworld she paused. Perhaps not... just yet.

**\- Sirzechs -**

Sitting at his desk, he worked away at his seemingly endless paperwork with a bored smile.

Most of the Underworld thought the Satans spent their time in epic battles and fierce negotiations, but most of the job was simply... paperwork.

Falbium had chosen his entire Peerage around people who would be able to do his paperwork for him, despising it more than anything else in existence. Ajuka just refused to waste his time doing it himself, claiming he was too busy with his projects and it was for the good of the Underworld that he push it all onto his many, many assistants.

He had no such excuses and his Peerage, as powerful as they may be, were not suited for the toils of paperwork, as amusing as making them attempt to tackle the mountains of forms could be.

So he spent much of his time at his desk, dealing with the endless problems among his kind.

As Grayfia's magical signature approached, he put the finishing touches on a form and filed it away, waiting for his wife to reach his door.

Entering without knocking, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow seeing her new... uniform, the incredibly short skirt failing to hide her pussy as she marched towards him, her breasts almost bursting from the top as she walked.

Spotting the slight trail of arousal down her inner thigh, he raised an eyebrow at her as she stopped in front of his desk.

“Lord Dantalion has agreed to meet with Ajuka, if only to listen to his request in person.” Grayfia said, her tone clipped as she stared him down.

“Ahh, good. Ajuka will be able to convince him, I'm sure.” Sirzechs said calmly, not mentioning the incredibly revealing outfit his prideful wife had clearly been forced into.

“That's it? You have nothing else to say?” Grayfia asked, narrowing her eyes as she gestured at her outfit. “You do remember that I am your wife, correct?!” she half-snarled, clearly letting out the pent up anger she couldn't unleash on Kuro.

“Of course I do, but tell me, what would change if I got offended? This is a necessary sacrifice, something you already knew.” Sirzechs said logically making her scowl at him. “I could mention your new uniform, or the arousal leaking down your thigh, but what would it change?” Sirzechs asked, staring at Grayfia. “Would you like me to compliment you, to say you look sexy? You do of course, but that's not what you want to hear, you want me to get angry on your behalf, to get offended at Kuro dressing up my wife like some doll, to ask what he has done to you and take offence to the answer.” Sirzechs said bluntly. “I do dislike this entire situation, but getting angry will solve nothing, especially given that I will likely have to deal with Kuro on a regular basis, and losing my temper at him could be disastrous.” Sirzechs explained as she scowled. “I don't want the details of what you have had to do because I don't want to hear of my wife serving another man.”

“I... I understand.” Grayfia said, her anger punctured and deflating, before she looked at him hesitantly. “I... have a question. If Kuro requested your permission to... fuck me, would you give it him?” Grayfia asked as she looked at him.

Pausing, he thought about his answer for a moment before looking back at her.

  
“I would, frankly I'm surprised he hasn't yet. He has more control than most young devils I know.” Sirzechs admitted as she almost flinched back.

  
Grayfia would know if he lied, and she knew him well enough to know that he'd put the long term good of the Underworld over the temporary shame of his wife.

“I see. I am going to get changed and deliver his reply to Ajuka, if you'll excuse me.” Grayfia said quickly, storming out of the room as he sighed, returning to his paperwork.

They were Devils, and even years were nothing in comparison to their immense lifespan, and his wife spending a few weeks, even months serving another man was nothing in the long run.

Always the long run, always playing the long game. It was the curse and duty of a Satan.

Working away, he sighed again as he felt another magical signature appear in his home, headed his way quickly.

Putting his paperwork away, he moved to the couch in his office and waited for the knock, immediately calling Rias in.

“Rias-tan! What brings you to me? Did you miss your big brother?!” Sirzechs said, his voice cheerful and childish as he leapt forwards and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“Ah, of course Onii-sama.” Rias said awkwardly as he internally sighed. One day he was going to have a long talk with Okita about the nonsense she got Rias into.

Letting her go, he sat down even as he waited for what he knew was coming. Rias certainly wouldn't make the trip back to the Underworld because she was missing him and that tone meant only one thing, she wanted him to do something.

“So, what brings you all this way.” he asked as he sat down on the couch again, her quickly joining him. “We both know you want something.” he teased, watching her face grow red at being called out so quickly.

“I... Fathe- Lord Gremory has sent word, apparently he's grown tired of my attempts to get out of my engagement. He's set up the rating game far earlier than expected, in two weeks...” Rias started making him narrow his eyes.

His father was up to... something, and he honestly didn't know what.

The contract had originally been almost completely in Rias's favour, as expected due to Rias being an Heiress and Riser being a third son, but at some point in the past couple of years he had renegotiated the contract heavily, making it far more in Riser's favour.

If he didn't know any better, he'd believe their father was trying to get rid of Rias as Heiress and replace him with Millicas. Millicas had demonstrated the aptitude to use the Power of Destruction a couple of years ago, even if he was too young to really use it.

“Rias-tan, you know I can't interfere. Father would complain to the other Satans and get your big brother in trouble!” Sirzechs whined making her shake her head.

“I... I know, but I don't stand a chance, especially with Kiba being taken away for punishment, Father has put his foot down and decided that Kiba won't be participating due to his lack of self-control.” Rias complained making him narrow his eyes. “I can't beat Riser with half a Peerage.”

She wouldn't be able to beat Riser with her entire Peerage, he was certain of that. They were under-trained, inexperienced, and they just weren't ready thanks to their slacking off and refusal to deal with their issues, or for Rias to even admit those issues existed.

But to make Rias fight with her Bishop and Knight taken from her? That wasn't a last chance, it was an insult. Riser could likely beat Rias, Koneko and Akeno alone, he may not like boy but he wouldn't deny his power.

With Akeno unwilling to use her Holy magic and Koneko terrified of her heritage, they simply wouldn't be able to overwhelm his regeneration.

“I see.” Sirzechs said, his cheery voice gone as he thought.

What in the hell was his father playing at?

“But... surely you could make him give me Kiba back, even if it's just for the Rating Game, and have Gasper unsealed, just for a day.” Rias said quickly, on the border of begging as she grasped his arm.

“I... Gasper is dangerous, especially with his utter inability to control his powers and his fear of... well, everything. Letting him participate would be just as likely to cause catastrophe as it would be to help you, something you know far too well.” Sirzechs said making Rias pout sadly. “I told you, alongside many others, that you needed to help your Peerage come to terms with their issues, and you always ignored us.”

“B-but... Gasper is happy in his room, it would have been cruel to force him out.” Rias defended weakly making him shake his head. “W-well, what about Kiba? He's fine as long as Excalibur isn't involved, surely you can get him released from his house arrest early.” she begged him, his heartstrings tugging as she stared up at him with tearful blue eyes.

“Rias, Kiba almost attacked a new Lord, if he had actually tried before you and Akeno stopped him even I wouldn't have been able to save him. It isn't Father keeping Kiba down here, it's Serafall Leviathan. She was furious to hear that Kiba had confronted Kuro, her pet project. I- Freeing Kiba would cause problems with far more than just Father.” he said, hating how powerless he seemed to be.

Ironic considering his immense power.

“Please, Onii-sama... I-I can't spend my life trapped with that man, he's a pig.” Rias begged, hugging his arm as he sighed. “An arrogant beast.”

  
Riser really wasn't that bad compared to many devils, he could be Diodora after all. He was a lazy and lustful devil who spent most of his time with his harem, something that was unlikely to change even if he was married to Rias.

But Rias would never hear that, she hated Riser with a passion and had convinced herself that he was quite literally the worst possible husband, and Rias could be incredibly stubborn when she set her mind to something.

“Rias, even with Kiba you realise that you would find beating Riser... difficult, he has a full Peerage and has plenty of experience in Rating Games himself.” Sirzechs said gently, making her tremble as tears started to fall.

“B-but... there has to be a way.” Rias said quietly, making him sigh. Rias was used to everything going her way, and this engagement was the first hurdle she hadn't been able to bat her eyes at him and their parents to make go away. Even her Peerage had even been given to her, or she had simply stumbled across.

The Gremory family power was simply luck, but it was a lost art. The original Gremory was said to be able to manipulate the luck of those around them, cursing their foes with bad luck and blessing themselves with the greatest of luck, but it was an art that no-one else had managed to master since.

Instead, Gremory's just tended to be very, very lucky... and occasionally, bad luck inflicted those who wronged them, and Rias had clearly been enjoying good luck as she stumbled across people with immense potential (in places she had no reason to be at that), but with luck carrying her through life she had grown lazy and unwilling to try and do anything herself, used to the world giving her whatever she wanted without her trying.

He had a theory on why her luck abandoned her in this engagement... his father was just as lucky as Rias, clearly as he had managed to score the former Bael Heiress as his wife (adding the Power of Destruction to his own line) and now that he was pushing for this marriage his luck was counteracting Rias's, and any time she was trying something that could interfere with the marriage, her luck failed her and she had to get by with skill alone.

But she was simply too used to not having to try, and without her luck to help her she was failing. It wasn't that she was stupid, she was actually rather intelligent... but she was inexperienced and too lazy to work on fixing that.

There was another reason he hadn't helped Rias escape directly, even with the problems it would cause with the Phenex family and his own... Falbium.

His fellow Satan had, in his own lazy way, made it clear that he would support the marriage if he attempted to break it, and for the simplest of reasons. Falbium didn't give a damn about Riser, Rias, he certainly didn't care about the alliance between the families. He did however care about the Phenex Tears, and the Lords Gremory and Phenex had predicted that he may be talked into helping Rias due to his siscon ways.

  
So they found a way around him, offering Falbium a large supply of Phenex Tears for his support in preventing him from interfering. Falbium was in charge of all military affairs and such things were worth more than liquid gold, that combined with him and Falbium not being particularly close made agreeing an easy thing for the Satan Asmodeus.

He'd be going against another Satan by interfering directly, and two Satans being at each others throats was something their kind couldn't risk. It was a fantastic move on his father and Lord Phenex's part, but it made things very uncomfortable for him.

“I'm sure there is, there is always a way Rias, you shouldn't give in to despair.” Sirzechs said encouragingly.

And he could even see one of them... Kuro. His father had an almost... obsession with adding new bloodline powers into the family to make up for the Gremory's magic being almost unusable, and Kuro... Kuro had at least two.

  
He may even have the Leviathan power, Sea Serpent of the End though he didn't know how they would even attempt to find out if he did as the Leviathan's were understandably reluctant to share that information, especially given that Katerea didn't seem to possess it herself despite calling herself the True Satan Leviathan.

He remembered Tsufaame Leviathan using it to create an oceans worth of water, wiping out hundreds of devils with weapons made of water shaper than any metal before Ajuka took her down.

If Katerea actually had that power, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from showing it off, it was the kind of person she was.

But the point stood, a relationship between Kuro and Rias could possibly lead to Gremory's with the ability to summon souls, create wards or control the seas depending on the contract formed, and that was far more tempting that just getting the regeneration.

There was no law preventing multiple marriages, even if it was rare. It's not like they gave a damn about the sanctity of marriage, they were fucking Devils after all.

Plus, with Serafall lurking over his shoulder, his father wouldn't risk trying to interfere if it was Kuro getting involved in the marriage, not knowing that he'd have not one, but two Satans to contend with (and possibly three if the experiment went well, Ajuka didn't care about the marriage but he wouldn't mind joining him and Serafall if it let him keep experimenting with the afterlife.)

Kuro was one of the best ways to deal with the marriage and only insult the Phenex clan in the process.

“I don't see how... Father stops me at every turn.” Rias said sadly before she looked up at him with a strange look. Moving, she shifted from sitting next to him, cuddling into his side, and sat in his lap, staring him in the eyes seriously, their faces uncomfortably close. “Please, you're a Satan... The Satan, Lucifer himself... there has to be something you can do to help...” Rias begged, her breasts pressing against his chest.

“Rias... I've told you...” Sirzechs started as she shook her head, pressing down in his lap, her ass resting on his slowly hardening crotch. She could feel his growing erection, there was no way she couldn't... but she simply pressed down against him harder.

“I... I'm out of ideas, I kept waiting for a solution but I'm out of time. I can't do this.” Rias said simply, her tone defeated and depressed. “I would do anything to escape Riser, to get out of this marriage... and I mean exactly that.” Rias said as she started to grind her ass into him, his eyes wide in shock. “Don't look so surprised, I'm a Devil... I know lust when I see it, I've seen it in the boys around Kuoh, in Riser's eyes when he looks at me... and in your eyes even when you do your silly act.”

“Rias... I...” Sirzechs said quickly, guilt filling him as he found himself unable to push her away. Devils... are sinful, depraved creatures, and every devil had their own sins and desires.

No matter how much they may want them to go away at times.

Reaching down, Rias gripped the bottom of her shirt, slowly lifting it up and exposing her pearly white stomach as he was frozen in place, his lust from seeing Grayfia in such a tiny outfit eclipsed as she pulled it over her chest, leaving her clad in only a silky red bra that was barely managing to restrain her own considerable chest.

Large breasts ran in the family, people only had to give their mother a single look to realise that, but while Venelana had some of the biggest breasts in the Underworld, Rias's seemed... just the perfect size.

“Tell me I'm wrong.” Rias said simply, her tone still almost broken as she stared at him.

Despite his best attempt, his words failed to leave his mouth as he stared at his little sisters large bra-clad bosom, making her sigh even as she reached down and unzipping her skirt, throwing it behind her.

“Say you'll help me, please... and I'll give you what you want.” Rias offered, taking one of his hands and moving it to her chest, his fingers immediately gripping around the soft flesh. Even as lustful as he was, he couldn't miss the grimace on her face as he groped her tit.

“Rias, you can't... we can't...” Sirzechs said quickly, his tone panicked as he felt his self-control slipping as she ground her panty-clad ass against his covered dick.

“We can. Grayfia is away and she's staying in Kuoh right now, Millicas is with mother... No one is due back, are they?” Rias asked, taking his silence as an answer. “No one would know but us, you can just say you changed your mind... everyone thinks you're eccentric anyway, this can be our secret. Just a back-room deal.” Rias said quietly, reaching back and unclipping her bra.

Watching in silence, he felt his erection pulse with need as she tossed her bra aside, two perfect pink nipples topping her large white breasts as they bounced free.

Unable to stop himself, he reached forwards and grasped one of her breasts in his hand, his thumb brushing against the soft nipple.

“Say you'll help me... please...” Rias started again, his mind ensnared by the jiggle of her breasts as she reached down, undoing his belt.

He should stop this... he should have stopped this ages ago... and as she undid his trouser buttons and reached into his boxers, he hissed in pleasure as she grasped his length, extracting it from its confines as her slender fingers wrapped around it.

In the back of his mind, an alert pinged, from the spell he had placed on her to make sure she didn't try and get out of her marriage by sleeping with someone (something that wouldn't even work as the contract didn't mention virginity). He was just glad he had decided to cast the spell himself instead of having Grayfia do it.

“Please... I'm begging you, brother... promise you'll help me and I'll do _anything_.” Rias pleaded, her tone cracking as she moved back off his lap, falling to her knees between his leg, one hand still holding his shaft as the other pulled his trousers down further. “And I'll be yours for the night, several nights if I have to... it'd be better than a lifetime with Riser. Anything would be.”

“Rias... I...” Sirzechs said breathily as she stroked his cock, watching as she let go for a second, grasping her breasts and moving them to either side of his shaft, engulfing his dick in her unnaturally soft tits.

Everything about this was wrong, but as she started to move, massaging his throbbing shaft with her breasts, all he could do was lean back and groan.

In truth, he and Grayfia didn't have the most active of sex lives, simply due to how busy the life of a Satan was. She would occasionally slide under his desk and pleasure him while he was doing his paperwork, but it was a rare thing for the prideful woman to do and usually required her to be in an exceptionally good mood, beyond that they simply had the occasion night together, once or twice a month at the most.

Seeing his wife in such a slutty outfit brought his lusts to the surface, she was usually so... resistant to wearing anything she deemed fetish wear, but he knew better than to attempt to convince her into sex while she was so pissed off with him, and he was left unsatisfied...

That lust made clearing his mind so much harder to do as his own baby sister willingly pleasured him, after years of watching his adorable little sister grow into one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

**\- Rias -**

She had failed, in truth she could admit to herself that it was mostly her fault at this point. Receiving a letter from home informing her of her upcoming rating game, not even a month away, and the demand that once she lost, she would give up her silly games and marry Riser immediately had forced a cold realisation to wash over her.

She didn't stand a chance.

Her Peerage weren't ready, two of them were unavailable and her father was refusing to let her have them back, and no matter how much faith she had in Akeno and Koneko... the three of them alone wouldn't stand a chance against a full experienced Peerage.

She had been waiting for a miracle to save her, and it never came.

Sure, she was fairly certain that at least one person in Kuoh Academy had a Sacred Gear, but even if she turned them immediately she had no idea what their Gear even was, nor would she have time to train a new devil to be of any use.

Sona couldn't help her by order of Lord Sitri, and the only other devil she even knew likely disliked her due to her knight almost attacking him. Lord Dantalion could have possibly helped her, instead she had messed up and underestimated Kiba's hatred of the Excalibur's... or perhaps his loyalty towards her.

Even if Kuro didn't hate her, he had no reason to help her and he was clearly immensely busy himself with all the attention on him, he had bigger things to worry about and she didn't have the time to earn his trust and assistance. She knew nothing about him, and didn't have time to investigate him and work out what made him tick, how to get into his good graces.

Nor did she know if he even could help her.

She had a matter of days before she was to face an older, more experienced and more powerful devil in a Rating Game that would decide her fate for the rest of her life. If she lost, once she lost, she'd be under Riser's thrall for centuries, as would her Peerage.

Riser disliked Akeno for her habit of subtly insulting him, and soon Akeno would be forced to obey whatever order Riser gave her, as would little Koneko... all because she had utterly failed to find a way out.

If it was just her at risk, perhaps she wouldn't be so desperate... but her Peerage was her family, and her family was in danger of a lifetime of servitude to a man who treated his own Peerage like sex-toys.

Her father had clearly grown tired of her constant attempts to escape as he changed the contract heavily, something she found out by pure chance when she took it out of the family records to look for loopholes.

Riser would get control of her Peerage, she would have to leave Kuoh and move into the Phenex estate, she would be... contractually obligated to attempt to reproduce with her husband on a regular basis, she was expected to act the part of the housewife. She wouldn't be her own woman any more, simply the pet of Riser Phenex, there to spread her legs at his command.

She didn't see what her father was getting out of all this, but it wouldn't help her even if she knew. He was set in his ways, unwilling to change his mind no matter how she begged and pleaded.

But even in her despair she realised she had one last card to play, one that she had written off as a final resort, one she thought she'd never had to play.

Her big brothers not-so-hidden lusts for her.

She'd seen it in his eyes for... years, from almost as soon as she hit puberty the way Sirzechs treated her changed, the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

She knew lust, she saw it in Riser's eyes even when he pretended to be the perfect gentleman, the lingering way his eyes roamed her curves and the hunger as he fantasised over what he would do to her when he had the chance.

She saw it in her fellow students as she walked around, in the the gazes of the teachers, asking her to hand out worksheets so they could watch her ass as she walked away from her desk, even in the eyes of random strangers in Kuoh as she explored her city.

It was the same hunger in Sirzechs eyes whenever she met with him without Grayfia hovering over his shoulder, and as her pleading for him to help her as her big brother failed, she turned to her last option.

To gain his assistance by any means necessary, no matter what it meant.

A part of her had hoped that he would shut her down immediately when she came here, ready to offer him the only thing she had left to give.

If he truly loved her as a brother, he'd have pushed her out of his lap, stopped her from removing her shirt... instead he had sat there, enraptured even as he let out his weak and utterly half-hearted protests.

Staring forwards as she put her bountiful chest to use, she closed her eyes and forced down her disgust as she bounced up and down, her brothers cock trapped between her cleavage.

Their loving sibling relationship was over, from tonight she'd never be able to look up at him as her beloved elder sibling, that bridge was burnt when he abandoned her to her fate, unwilling to help until she whored herself out to him.

That was what she was doing after all, what she was now... a whore. Selling her body, even if it was not for money. This wasn't a decision she made lightly, but with her lifetime of enslavement drawing ever closer she made a decision.

A single night of degradation and utter shame was better than a lifetime of it, even if she would have to live with the fact that she gave herself to her own brother for the rest of her life.

She'd considered using her body to gain the assistance of a patron, someone who could help her out, it would have been far less disgusting if it wasn't her own flesh and blood thrusting between her breasts after all... but she knew her brother had a spell cast on her to monitor her actions and ensure she remained _pure_ for her wedding night. Her father lacked the skill to cast it himself after all.

Clear proof of her brothers hypocrisy as he enjoyed tainting that purity himself, his stern warnings not to lower herself to such means to escape Riser vanished and replaced with moans and grunts.

This was distasteful, a night she'd be unable to forget no matter how hard she tried for a long time, but it would give her the freedom she so longed for, that she swore to attain by any means.

The best case scenario now was Sirzechs being satisfied with just her hand and breasts, perhaps her mouth if it came to it and finishing quickly, giving her the help he should have done years ago.

If he wasn't satisfied so easily, she'd have to go further and give him something she would never be able to replace, spreading her legs and letting him claim her virginity... the mere thought made her shudder but she reminded herself that it was better than Riser taking hers, Akeno's and Koneko's.

She was prepared to make such a sacrifice if she had no other choice.

There was also the chance that he would be unsatisfied with a single night, as horrifying as the idea seemed. Devils were greedy and if he decided she would warm his bed again, she would have little choice but to accept.

What could she do to avoid it? Expose their deal? Tell the underworld that the Heiress of the Gremory family spread her legs for her own brother to escape a marriage, she'd ruin her reputation forever. Tell Grayfia that she fucked her husband? Grayfia would no doubt blame her without a second thought. Tell her family, who wanted this marriage to go through? They'd turn on her in seconds.  
  
Even if she got Sirzechs into trouble, she'd doom herself in the process.

But desperation was a dangerous thing, and when her choices were Sirzechs now or Riser forever, Sirzechs won out. Barely.

“Fuck... Rias...” Sirzechs groaned as his hand rested on her head, guiding her head down towards where his shaft was poking out of her cleavage.

Feeling her tears trail down her cheeks, she reminded herself that this was the last option she had available.

**\- Sirzechs -**

Feeling his balls churn, he groaned out loud, unable to hold back any more as he hit his climax. He was hoping to feel her lips around his cock to be honest, but her breasts were simply too pleasurable to last after his dry streak.

As his cock twitched, cum burst forth and hit Rias's face, making her jolt back violently, avoiding the rest as it got caught between her tits, the white cream leaking out of her cleavage as she backed away, his still hard dick free from its confines, standing proudly as he surveyed his work while Rias stood up, her eyes closed and her face covered in his seed.

Grayfia always used a tissue to catch his cum when she went pleasured him, it was either inside her pussy or into a tissue with her, unwilling to make a mess, and only now did he realise how arousing it was to see a girl wearing his cum.

As she wiped at her cheeks with her hands, he frowned slightly before he realised something... with her cheeks clean of his seed, he could more clearly see the tears falling down them.

The humans had something they called post-nut clarity, something that always amused him to hear about as so many humans had signed their souls away after rolling off some seductive devil in the past.

Watching his sister shake in visible revolt, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared at his cum covering her tits with shame and disgust he suddenly understood the concept better than ever before, his raging lust momentarily satiated giving way to the cold realisation of what was happening here.

His precious little sister was so desperate to escape her marriage that she thought the only chance she had was to offer her body to her powerful older brother to get his help... and he, so horny and sick of hiding his desire, accepted and took advantage of her at her most vulnerable.

He'd been so focused on her body, on the feeling of her pleasuring him... he'd ignored the empty, robotic way she was speaking, the shudders of disgust as he touched her...

And the worst part was that even as the guilt and self-loathing built up, he could still feel the lust stirring within him, Rias's breast jiggling enticingly as she wiped his cum off them.

He was scum, for all his talk of being better than the original Lucifer, all it took was Rias showing some skin for him to toss that aside and put his owns wants and desires above everything else.

His position, by agreeing (even non-verbally) to abuse his position to free her. His marriage, by allowing this to happen. His morals, by not stopping this the moment it started. His family, by cumming all over his sisters face and tits.

Rias may have started this, but with his unwanted clarity he could see her thought process, their father had put her in an unwinnable position and Rias would do anything to escape it... no matter his distasteful she found it.

“W-was that enough, Sirzechs?” Rias asked, staring at him with hesitation and worry as her eyes flickered to his still-erect shaft. Sirzechs, not brother or Onii-sama.

His mind racing, he failed to reply as he sunk into self-loathing, causing Rias to sigh deeply, a choked sob slipping out as she reached down, hooking her fingers into her lacy panties.

Pulling them down, Rias stepped out of them slowly, his mouth growing dry as his eyes locked onto the tiny pink slit topped by the smallest tuft of red hair.

“I... I understand, if that's what it will take...” Rias mumbled, turning around and walking to his desk, her voluptuous ass shaking as she moved before she reached it, bending over the desk, her legs parting. “J-just... get it other with, if this is what you want for you help just take it already.” Rias begged, sobs stuttering her speech as she faced forwards, probably trying to forget who it was behind her, whose shaft was throbbing with need as he stared at her exposed, and completely dry, pussy.

To him, it was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen, but to her? This was an incredibly unpleasant situation she just wanted over and done with, something to endure.

And yet, as he stared at her he had to fight with himself not to move forwards and take exactly what she was offering.

“R-Rias, stand up.” Sirzechs ordered reluctantly, tearing his eyes away from her exposed slit, watching as her naked breasts swayed as she spun around. “Get dressed, there are some tissues in the top drawer.” Sirzechs said, something he kept for when Grayfia was in a good mood.

Despite his words, Rias's eyes widened as she stared at him with a mixture of emotions.

“B-but... you'll help me, right?” Rias asked as she moved forwards, her tits jiggling as she did so, stopping a couple of feet in front of him, staring up at him with desperate eyes.

As his mind raced over the many things keeping him from doing so, Falbium, Grayfia, his father and Lord Phenex, the Old Satans just waiting to pounce on any mistake, he paused making Rias's eyes widen at his silence, utter betrayal on her face.

“N-no... you can't just send me away, not after I... not like this.” Rias sputtered, gesturing at the cum still sticking between her breasts, a hint of white in her red hair.

“I-It's not that simpl-” Sirzechs started, sounding weak to his own ears.

“What is it you want?” Rias asked, anger and defeat in her tone as she reached down and grasped his still hard cock, making him hiss. “If you weren't willing to help you'd have stopped me before I went this far... but if it was just sex you wanted, you'd be fucking me already... what do I have to do to earn your help, _brother._ ” Rias practically spat out as she started to stroke him, rough and angry strokes bringing his lust back to full force.

Even the way she glared at him made his shaft twitch, her fury arousing him.

“Well, _Lucifer_. Name your price? Do I have to call Akeno to join us, or is it Koneko you want to defile?! You've known them both since they were children, but it didn't stop you from lusting for me.” Rias growled, practically spitting with rage even as despair and defeat dampened her flames. “Or is one night with me not enough, do I have to disgrace myself by spreading my legs for my own fucking brother weekly? How many nights am I going to have to spend on my knees to make you help me?” Rias snarled at him, her hand speeding up before she dropped to her knees again, glaring up at him as she stroked his cock right in front of her face. “Congratulations, _brother._ you've gotten what you want. I made the mistake of coming to you for help and now you get to make your demands, knowing I _don't have a fucking choice but to agree_.”

“R-rias...” Sirzechs groaned even as he tried to manifest the will to explain.

“Is this what you wanted to see?” Rias asked, resting his shaft on her face. “Go on, tell me to suck it.” Rias practically challenged as she glared up at him, his control snapping as he grabbed her, lifting her up.

“RIAS! Stop.” Sirzechs growled, his self-control frayed at the edges as he held her, his shaft pressing against her stomach as he held her in place. “I _can't_ help you. I would have broken this ridiculous marriage already if I could.” Sirzechs admitted, her eyes widening at his words. “Lord Phenex and our Father recruited the assistance of Falbium Asmodeus, if I try and break it off he will get involved and interfere.”

“...you let me think you could help me, that you _would_ help me, until I'd already made you cum.” Rias accused quietly, the tears falling again as her voice broke. “Did you find it funny, watching me degrade myself for your enjoyment, knowing I'd get nothing out of it. Knowing it was for nothing.”

“I...” Sirzechs started, before pausing. What was he supposed to say? That he had so little self-control he couldn't bring himself to stop her? That if he hadn't noticed the tears, he would be inside her as they spoke. “No...”

Pulling free of his grasp, Rias robotically moved away from him, grabbing her underwear and pulling them back on without a word as he watched, his heart aching at the utter defeat on her face.

  
Getting dressed again, she looked at him with a mixture of sorrow, humiliation and hatred, her stare a dagger into his chest.

“I- I hope you enjoyed yourself, enjoyed the result of my stupidity and desperation, because it has destroyed whatever we once had.” Rias said simply. “But then I know you have, I've still got the proof in my hair. I won't tell anyone about this, your reputation is safe. I'm going back to Kuoh, and in two weeks I'll lose to Riser and be married off to him... and I don't want to see you ever again. Tell father he has won, I... I'm going to release my Peerage when I get home, I might have to become one of Riser's pets, but I won't inflict that on them, and if you ever truly cared about me, instead of just lusting after me... help them find new lives.” Rias asked as she formed a magical circle.

“Rias, wait!” Sirzechs ordered, flaring his magic to interfere with her own, cancelling her attempt to teleport away.

He had utterly fucked up, even if she was partially responsible for this, but he would not let her leave, he certainly wouldn't let her send her Peerage away, that... knowing his sister, that would probably be the most painful thing she could ever do.

Rias loved every member of her Peerage like her family, perhaps they were her family now, given how he and their Father had acted, as dysfunctional as they all were... and he had a feeling that if she did send them away, he'd find her body hanging from the chandelier shortly afterwards.

It would literally kill her, and he couldn't be even partially responsible for her death.

“I... can't help you directly, but- but maybe there is still a way for you to get out.” Sirzechs started, making her eyes widen as she paused.

“I think we've established that there isn't much I won't do, what do you have in mind, and should I take my clothes back off?” Rias asked dully.

“Please don't, my self control is hanging by a thread and I don't want to test it any further.” he admit as he put away his throbbing shaft.

“...so, what did you have in mind?” Rias asked, her stance less defensive now that she was convinced he wasn't going to demand her body.

Now he just had to work out how to get a lazy devil with no connection or reason to get involved with this mess to help him free Rias and piss off the Phenex family and possibly his father in the process.

...while controlling his anger at the fact that the same devil was likely going to be fucking his wife soon.

While also not pissing off Serafall for interfering in her pet project even more than he already had.

Easy, right?

**\- Kuro –**

Waking up, I roll over and gentle pry Helia off my chest as I look around.

Someone, somewhere, is scheming to make me do work.

I don't like it.

**\- Bonus Scene – Katerea Leviathan -**

A lot of people say the Old Satan faction as something of a joke, some stubborn idiots sticking to a dying belief.

For a lot of her allies, they'd be right, but not all of them were idiots.

So when all the false Satans except Falbium (a devil so lazy she'd have a panic attack if he ever actually got up and did something as it would mean something was truly serious was going on) all started moving at around the same time it only made sense that they'd pay attention.

That Grayfia, the filthy traitor that she was, ended up stationed in Kuoh, but not with the Gremory girl, it gave them a lead as Serafall had also been seen in the same city earlier, and Sirzechs power was unmistakable and he had also been to Kuoh.

Which lead her to Kuro Dantalion.

The new Lord of the Dantalion family, an Extra Demon clan of considerable notoriety that were to rejoin the Pillar clans, which explained Serafall and Sirzechs having an interest in him, but not why Grayfia was staying by Kuro Dantalion's side.

Most people didn't realise how large the Old Satan faction truly was, how widespread the resistance against the fools calling themselves Satans had grown... and how many sources of information they had.

Not everyone openly supported them, but the Satans were not as popular as they pretended they were, and they found many allies who had either been wronged by the false Satans or simply disapproved of their leadership decisions.

And while it was hard to discover what had the three so riled up, she had managed to find out enough.

Ajuka had brought a sample of her honoured Grandmother out of storage to test it against something, and whatever the results had been had greatly pleased Sirzechs.

That alone wouldn't have been enough to really work out what was going on, if it wasn't for the fact that she had inherited a lot of the belongings of her Grandmother (at least the ones the false Satans hadn't managed to destroy to erase the memory of the far more worthy devils whose names they had usurped).

Among them was the diary of Leviathan herself.

...a diary that spoke of her relationship and later marriage to Izan Dantalion in great detail, answering the old question of who exactly was the father of her mother, Tsufaame.

Izan Dantalion was also the Grandfather of Kuro Dantalion, which brought up a simple question... was Leviathan the Grandmother of Kuro as well?

The Diary never mentioned Iaxes, Izan's son, but it also never mentioned Tsufaame as it didn't reach her pregnancy, and that made her worry.

Sirzechs had her potential cousin ensnared in his lies, and that filled her with rage. Kuro was a threat to her position, to the very Old Satan faction as having a true-blood descendant of the Leviathan side with the false Satans or worse, speak out against them would hurt their position dearly, but he was also one of the few remaining devils to carry the Leviathan blood, and one of only two who were pure.

Her niece, Ingvild could not be counted, not with the human blood polluting her body. Her brother falling for a human was a mark of shame on their family, and one she had cleansed herself for his betrayal, though she spared Ingvild when it became clear she was inflicted with the sleeping disease, a sign of her weakness no doubt.

Now she had to find her cousin, and decide what to do with him. If he could be made to see the lies and hypocrisy of the false Satans then he would be a relative to be greeted with open arms, as well as an ally and asset for her faction... but if he had already been corrupted?

The name of Leviathan couldn't be disgraced any more than it already was, especially with that stripper wanna-be magical girl running around using it, and she couldn't allow her cousin to damage it any more that Serafall had already.

**Authors Note: Did I just bring back one of the plot points that pissed off a lot of people in Necromancy? Yes. Why? Because I like Super-Siscon Sirzechs, even if he is less crazy this time.**

**It may come as a surprise, but in a world as borderline-hentai as DxD is, people other than the protagonist can get laid, and Rias is very, very desperate.**

**No Issei, no Kiba, no time, and no options left. She was willing to fuck Issei to break the engagement after knowing him for barely any time, she took the only option she seemed to have left, get Sirzechs help by any means necessary. Making a deal like this means temporarily being stuck dealing with his lusts, but not doing it would mean a literal lifetime (a devil one at that) doing the same for Riser, someone she has convinced herself is basically the worst person in existence.**


	9. Kuro, Starter of Wars

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 09: Kuro, Starter of Wars**

Returning from her contract, Akeno smirked to herself at another job well done.

Her particular tastes made her well suited for a special kind of contractor, and there were no end of men and women willing to pay for her less than tender touch.

She had conditions of course, she wouldn't sleep with her contractors and she decided the limits on what she was willing to do with her subs, and despite being a switch herself she also wasn't willing to accept a contract as a sub.

She had no desire to put herself at the whims of a mortal, but accepting contracts as a dom was a different matter entirely, it helped her get out the sadistic urges and control herself despite the habits that were undoubtedly the fault of her cursed lineage.

Her most recent contractor, or contractors she supposed, were a married couple whose flame was dying due to their incompatibility in the bedroom, as they were both subs with no skill or desire to dominate the other. The man had never been allowed to touch her, he wasn't her type, but making him masturbate while his wife went down on her was amusing, as was introducing them both to her whip.

In the end, she got paid for hurting and degrading the thankful couple, while dealing with her own urges. Devils had poor impulse control, it was a racial trait that caused no end of trouble and combined with the sick desires she inherited from her father she needed to deal with them, and while Rias could (and would) be her sub on occasion, she made a poor dom.

A part of her wondered how well Riser would fulfil her urges to be hurt and degraded, but she'd rather not find out if it meant the end of Rias's freedom, even if the idea of an older man treating her like the worthless slut she was sent shivers through her body. She didn't like Riser, but like and lust were two very different things.

Heading to the clubroom shower, she paused slightly as her sensitive ears picked up the sound of running water... and quiet sobs barely audible over the sound of the shower running.

Kiba had been taken back to the underworld, and Koneko had a contract of her own...

Knowing this, she stripped out of the black leather outfit she wore for the job and entered the bathroom without hesitation, not bothering to knock as she walked into the shower, sitting next to her crying King, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling Rias against her.

She'd gone to see Lord Sirzechs, and it didn't take a genius to see that it hadn't gone well for her, and as Rias's queen it was her job to support her king, even if it meant just holding her in comfortable silence.

“Akeno... am I a failure?” Rias asked quietly after a few minutes, making Akeno pause as she looked down at Rias.

“Of course not, a bit lazy and irresponsible perhaps but if your father hadn't changed the timeline you would have been far more ready. Sometimes... there just isn't a way to win, not when people are stacking the deck against you.” Akeno said soothingly as she hugged Rias. “I take it Lord Sirzechs refused to help you?”

“...he agreed, or at least he has a plan to help me.” Rias admitted, a dark look passing her face.

...Then why the hell was Rias crying in the shower?

“I... don't understand? Is that not a good thing?” Akeno asked making Rias laugh bitterly.

“He refused when I asked him for help, and when I begged... but he changed his mind when I made him an offer.” Rias explained, making Akeno pause.

“With all due respect, what could you offer a Satan to change his mind?” she asked watching as shame and disgust crossed Rias's face.

Oh.

“The only thing I had left, myself. I, the Heiress of the Gremory Family, whored myself out to my own brother to get his aid. Amazing how quickly his mind changed when my clothes came off... but after degrading myself for him, making my own brother cum with my tits... he told me he couldn't actually help me. I don't know why I was surprised, things don't go right for me any more... I suppose I should just be happy he decided to tell me before I spread my legs for him.” Rias scoffed, anger and shame filling her tone. “But it's fine... because my wonderful big brother has a plan... all I have to do is convince Kuro Dantalion to go along with it and Sirzechs will do the rest.” Rias said sarcastically. “I have two weeks to convince Kuro to help me, despite not knowing him and Kiba's actions, if I can't then I lose and we'll all be in Riser's bed soon after.”

She'd always thought Sirzechs was too... over the top with his affection when it came to Rias, and hearing that he accepted such an offer... didn't surprise her as much as it probably should.

“Then you haven't lost yet, you still have a chance.” Akeno pointed out, no judgement in her tone.

“Akeno, I don't have the first clue where to start with Kuro.” Rias pointed out, making her nod. “And I have to get him to forgive me for Kiba's actions and then agree to help me, in a short amount of time... and Sirzechs idea isn't an escape, it just changes who I would be bound to, with a new, more fair, contract. If Kuro agrees, I'll likely be his wife soon enough, but you and Koneko will be safe and Riser won't get us.”

  
“He seems reasonable enough, that Kiba is still living is proof that he's not a cruel man.” Akeno said calmly. “If Kuro is in Kuoh, you won't have to move or go back to the Underworld, plus... if you need to, use me as a bargaining chip.” Akeno offered making her kings eyes widen. “I've never been as prideful as you, and if I can help you by giving myself to a handsome young man, I'll do it happily...” Akeno said with a smile.

“I wouldn't do that to you, I'm not Sirzechs willing to whore my queen out for my own gain.” Rias scoffed making Akeno's eyebrows rise. “He admitted it, Grayfia is serving Kuro now, however he wants.” Rias said before she smiled slightly. “Grayfia always did like talking about being willing to put aside my pride for the good of the house, I wonder if she thinks the same when she's on her knees.” Rias said sarcastically. “I'd almost pay to see it.”

So would she, but not out of spite like Rias but simply because Grayfia was an incredibly beautiful woman and seeing someone that prideful be made to serve sounded divine.

“And I'm not like Grayfia, so prideful and stern... Rias, I'm a lustful devil, you know that, I wouldn't feel ashamed of _whoring_ myself as you put it, say the word and I'll submit myself to whatever wicked whims Kuro has... Ufufufu.”

Kuro had an... aura around him, chilling the air and putting people on edge, but honestly the feeling of the intimidating aura made her nipples harden and panties grow wet during their meeting. What would it be like to submit herself to such a man?

“By the Satans, you're a pervert.” Rias said fondly as she watched Akeno giggle to herself. “Thank you, Akeno... but I have my own form of pride, and if I'm going to be whoring anyone out, it will be myself. You might be my queen, but your body is yours, to give to whoever you want.”

“And if I decide I want to offer myself to Kuro, of my own free will?” Akeno asked, watching Rias sigh despite her smile.

“Then I'd be breaking my own word to try and stop you, even if I know you're just trying to help me... well, mostly.” Rias said deadpan, glancing at Akeno's hardened nipples making her giggle shamelessly again.

**\- Kuro -**

“...It's not even midday yet, why did you wake me up?” I ask as I stare at Grayfia with displeasure, unwilling to get dressed.

Helia has already slipped out of bed after my dark foresight warned me off the evil brewing woke me up, but I went back to bed since while I am sure someone is scheming against my free time I don't know who.

Helia is a regular in my bed, and she's frankly incredibly talented with her mouth, but I haven't fucked her... yet, she's loyal but I see no reason to rush her when she's happy to use her mouth instead.

Helia is loyal and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Dantalion family, but loyalty has its limits and I haven't had time to spend with her to solidify it beyond her joining me in bed. Aria is still scheming, but her affection and obedience are high enough that I'm not particularly worried.

I have a limited amount of time, and a sin of sloth that makes me lose focus if I don't rest regularly, a slightly scheming slave girl is a minor problem on my list of concerns. I've ordered Miza to watch over Lezea and Bryria, keep them somewhat fed, and be ready to take a dicking at my whims, other than that the little green shortstack can do as she pleases as long as she stays within the estate.

“Because the meeting with Lord Ajuka is later today and someone has sent a request for a meeting and Lady Gremory is not someone to be kept waiting.” Grayfia said quickly making me stand up off the bed, sighing.

Lady Gremory, that would be Rias and Sirzechs's mother.

“And what exactly does Lady Gremory want with me?” I ask as I stare at Grayfia, smirking at the sight of her in her uniform.

“I have no idea, Lady Venelana might not technically be the head of the house but she is very influential and well connected throughout the Underworld. She wishes to meet with you at your earliest convenience and is awaiting your answer.” Grayfia admits as I groan.

I want to grind for more levels, but people won't give me my space... but gaining a few levels is less important than making connections throughout the underworld, and the mother of a Satan seems like a powerful ally.

“Very well, do I have time before we have to head to the underworld to meet Ajuka?” I ask making her nod.

“I believe she could be here in minutes once I send your reply, you have a couple of hours before we have to leave for the Underworld...” Grayfia trailed off, pausing hesitantly. “I... My Lord, I have a request...” Grayfia says cautiously as I stare at her.

“And what would that be?” I ask, already fairly certain I know as she tugs at the bottom of her skirt trying to pull it further down.

“As you likely know, Lady Gremory is my mother in law and Lord Ajuka is my husbands best friend, and I would rather not have them see me so... scantily clad, nor have them realise just how far my... service to you goes, and would like to wear my old uniform for today.” Grayfia requests making me smirk slightly.

“Is that so?” I ask noncommitedly, making her fidget at my stare. “And if I would prefer you to remain in your new outfit?”

“Then I would... obey your request despite my hesitation.” Grayfia admits quietly as she frowns.

“Send a reply to Venelana that I can meet with her at... eleven, which gives me almost an hour to get ready... and to decide how I want my maid dressed.” I order making her pause before she nods, quickly writing out a message and sending it through a small magical circle. “As for your request, hmm... why don't you take your uniform off for now.” I say calmly, watching as she hesitates for a second before she quickly strips out of the slutty maid outfit Aria picked for her.

She has clearly learnt her lesson this time, and as the maid uniform comes off her lack of underwear is quickly revealed.

“If I'm going to be meeting with Lady Gremory, I need a bath first. You don't mind helping me, do you?” I ask as I walk out of the room, heading for the main bathroom with Grayfia trailing behind me.

“Grayfia, clean me... thoroughly and I will consider your request, the more enthusiastic and well behaved you are, the more likely I will be to accept.” I offer making Grayfia quickly grab the cleaning supplies.

Sitting down on the stool beside the almost swimming pool sized bath, I just sit back and enjoy myself as Grayfia quickly gets to work, rubbing the soapy cloth over my body.

After a moment, she pauses before she lets out a sigh, getting her own body as soapy as possible before she pushes her breasts against my back.

“This is what you wanted, is it not my lord?” Grayfia asks as she kneels behind me, rubbing her breasts up and down my back.

“Hmm? Who knows.” I say teasingly as I smile, two small, slowly hardening points pressing against my back as she works.

Moving to my arm, she traps it between her breasts as she rubs them against my arm, I'm not sure how hygienic this is, but I don't particularly care.

“Have you done this before?” I ask making her give me a dirty look even as she moves around to the other arm.

“Of course not, Sirzechs can clean himself and the only male I've ever bathed is my son.” Grayfia said calmly, moving in front of me.

“He doesn't know what he was missing, this beats regular clothes considerably.” I admit as she takes a breath and moves forwards, pressing her tits against my chest.

“Sirzechs or Millicas... in fact, don't answer that.” Grayfia says with a slight scowl as she rubs herself against me, saying nothing as my arms move around her waist and my hands come to rest on her ass, lightly squeezing her buttocks, my erect cock pressing against her stomach.

“Heh, as you wish... but I think my chest and stomach are fairly clean now, why don't you move a little lower.” I say with a smile as she gives me a dirty look before she moves to her knees with a sigh.

“I... am the Strongest Queen, one of the strongest Devils in the Underworld.” Grayfia says as she kneels between my legs, before she reaches forwards and grasps my shaft in a tight, but not painful grip. “But you don't care, do you? All my power, all my fame, and I'm just a plaything for you, aren't I?” Grayfia asks as she starts to move, her slender fingers started to stroke me. “I think I may actually hate you, but it doesn't particularly matter with your hold on me, my own husband ordering me to serve you.”

“I do care about your power, it makes this even better.” I admit as her eyes widen. “Someone so powerful, so prideful, so beautiful... and you're still on your knees stroking my cock. It's pretty amazing.”

**+5 Obedience with Grayfia for pushing her to this point [50/100]**

**+5 Affection with Grayfia for admitting the truth [-40/100]**

“I suppose it would be, I imagine there are countless devils who would like the same power over me, and most of them wouldn't have been as... merciful.” Grayfia admits as she uses her free hand to fondle my ballsack. “Why didn't you fuck me? We both know I'm not in a position to refuse, and you clearly want me. Any other devil would have taken me the moment they had control of me, but you keep holding back.”

“Of course I want you, but I don't need to take you by force. Tell me, when you last cleaned me, did you even consider using your breasts? Or giving me a... happy ending?” I ask making her pause her stroking. “No need to answer, we both know the answer... but here you are, stroking my dick and you don't even look angry, maybe just a bit annoyed, but not particularly angry.” I point out as she stares up at me.

“I am only doing this to ensure I don't have to reveal my shameful position to my mother in law, a woman I greatly respect.” Grayfia points out, making me chuckle.

  
“And the next time someone comes over, how will you convince me to let you dress in your old uniform? What happens when I grow bored of your hand and want something else?” I ask making her go silent as she looks away from me, silently acknowledging my point. “I don't need to force you, Grayfia...”

“Perhaps you are right.” Grayfia says quietly, her hand speeding up as I smile at her.

  
“No, I am right and we both know it... but why just say that when I can prove it? Grayfia, finish me with your mouth and you can wear your old uniform for both meetings, or you can use your hand and wear it for one.” I offer as she looks up at me, a hint of anger in her eyes as we engage in a brief staring contest.

“You... are a bastard.” Grayfia says after a moment, making me chuckle even as she leans in and slowly parts her lips, taking the tip of my cock into her mouth.

“I suppose I am.” I admit as I watch her quickly start to bob her head, staring up at me with annoyed silver eyes.

**+5 Obedience with Grayfia for proving your point [55/100]**

**-5 Relationship Loyalty with Grayfia for getting her to blow you [65/100]**

Sorry Sirzechs, but really you can't let a girl like this fall into the hands of another man unless you want to lose her forever, who the hell would willingly give her up after having her?

She might be irritated at me, but it doesn't take away from her skill as she quickly uses her clearly experienced mouth to bring me to completion in a matter of minutes, not breaking eye contact as she does so.

Feeling my balls churn in her hands, she pauses before she pulls back and grasps my shaft again, aiming it as she rapidly jerks my cock.

As my climax hits, my seed bursts forth and splatters against her waiting chest, Grayfia not even flinching as it does so, merely continuing stroking until the torrent of cum stops.

“You know, you technically finished me with your hand.” I point out as her eyes widens, a scowl crossing her face. “A devil should be more aware of such obvious loopholes... but I am feeling pretty merciful today, just don't expect me to show such kindness in the future.” I say as I stand up.

**+5 Affection with Grayfia for showing Mercy [-35/100]**

“I... thank you for your kindness, My Lord.” Grayfia says with a sigh even as her scowl fades. “So I may wear my regular uniform?”

“You may wear your _old_ uniform, your regular one is the one you're trying to avoid wearing.” I point out as I grab a sponge.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness and I doubt that counts as a proper clean.

“You have my thanks, My Lord.” Grayfia says graciously before she looks down at her cum-stained chest and sighs again.

**\- Later -**

My first thought on Venelana Gremory is simple... holy shit those are big.

The white dress she is wearing can barely restrain the frankly gargantuan breasts straining against the cloth as she takes a drink of the tea Grayfia has served us.

“My Lord... you're staring.” Grayfia says scoldingly as I realise she is right, quickly looking back up into Venelana's amused purple gaze.

“Now, now Grayfia... he's a healthy young devil, of course he is.” Venelana says with a giggle, her chest bouncing as she does so. “I don't mind him enjoying the view, he certainly wouldn't be the first.”

“My apologies, Lady Gremory.” I say quickly, whether she minds or not is one thing, I should have better impulse control than this.  
  


“It is nothing, Lord Dantalion, and please call me Venelana.” Venelana says calmly, smiling at me as she puts her tea down. “And you have my thanks for agreeing to meet with me so soon, what I have to discuss is rather time sensitive after all.”

“It's Kuro then, and what exactly can I do for you?” I ask as I take a sip myself, Grayfia honestly isn't the best maid despite her beloved maid outfit, she can't clean properly and she is far from maid-like in personality, but she does make a good tea.

“Hmm, I have a request of you, but I believe I should give you some background before I make it.” Venelana admitted as she glanced at Grayfia. “I am aware that Grayfia trespassed in some form of family ritual, and has been sentenced to serve you as punishment, but tell me... are you sleeping with her?” Venelana asks bluntly, making Grayfia's eyes widen.

  
“Lady Gremory, I assure you I have not had sex with him.” Grayfia says quickly, making Venelana raise an eyebrow knowingly.

“I believe I heard a unspoken 'yet' there, Grayfia you have always been rather easy to read, and you specified sex... oral then? Or are you just using your hands and breasts for now? You've always been rather prudish so I doubt you have resorted to anal.” Venelana says, sounding amused at Grayfia's rapidly paling face. “You'll find no judgement from me, I'm certain my son is aware of your actions, he sent you to serve a young male devil after all, frankly I'm surprised you are even dressed.”

“You seem rather calm about my cuckolding your son...” I say cautiously making her giggle again.

“We are devils, and marriage among devils has always been more about politics than it has love. You are a young man and Grayfia is a beautiful woman, when put under your control it is impressive that you haven't fucked her yet.” Venelana says with a smirk, the crude words mismatched with her aristocratic appearance. “Lust... is simply a part of being a devil, and while we should aim to be better than the utterly impulsive devils who came before us, acting on their base instincts with no thought to the consequences, denying our sins completely is just as dangerous, and a mistake. Lust is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about.” Venelana continues before she giggles again. “But I digress, I just wanted to get an idea of the man I am dealing with.”

“I see, allow me to help... I'm lazy and a pervert. That's... basically it.” I say with a grin making her chuckle. Venelana is growing on me quickly. “Oh, I have a bunch of weird powers as well.”

“My thanks, fortunately I have lots of experience with lazy people and perverts alike. I take it you already know of the engagement between my daughter and Riser Phenex?” Venelana asks making me nod calmly. “You will likely not know that my husband has lost his patience with Rias, and despite my warnings to the contrary has sped up the time frame, Rias had several years to either come to terms with the marriage or find a way out, now she has two weeks before she is to fight a battle she can't win and be forced into the marriage.”

“That is... a shame?”

“Rias is partially responsible for this, after a rather large argument with her father resulting in some... things being said that can't be taken back, and while my husband is the main person pushing for this, he is not completely at wrong either. Rias was given everything she would need to get out of the wedding, but her laziness shone through and she relied on getting her brother to help her out instead of every trying herself. Sirzechs has always spoiled her, and she is unused to doing things herself. Zeoticus is sick of her unwillingness to apply herself, and frankly he is well meaning.” Venelana says making me raise an eyebrow.

“He means well in forcing her to marry someone she seems to hate?”

“Zeoticus is... disappointed that Rias refuses to put her considerable potential to use, wasting it away as she plays at schoolgirl in the human world, only training the bare minimum. He isn't wrong of course, but he is also rather... misogynistic and he believes that Rias would be far better off with a... firm hand guiding her, he also believes that a devil like Riser would be better off with a woman who wouldn't simply obey his every whim like his peerage do, and Lord Phenex agree.” Venelana admits with a shrug, making her massive mammaries jiggle as she does. “Lord Phenex and my husband believe that Riser and Rias could make each other better, taking two devils with frankly wasted potential and making a pair not to be trifled with.”

“Rias hates Riser, surely that would put a bit of a thorn in that plan.” I point out making her sigh. “And I thought there was some big alliance relying on this marriage?”

“Rias hates the idea of Riser, this caricature she has made in her head, not the real Riser, a young man not unlike yourself that she frankly doesn't know, but you are correct of course. Zeoticus sees Rias's actions as a teenager lashing out, just a phase of teenage rebellion, and he refuses to see the true desperation and panic in her actions. Zeoticus is very prideful and even more stubborn, Rias inherited that stubbornness from him.” Venelana says with a fond smile. “As for the alliance? It's a formality, the Phenex and Gremory families are old friends and the alliance will go through regardless, the two Lords just thought it would be interesting to unite the families in such a way as living proof of that alliance.”

  
“And while that is interesting... what does it have to do with me?” I ask making her smile.

“Of course, allow me to explain... Rias, upon hearing of the new time frame, ran to Sirzechs as she always does, and while Sirzechs has been keeping out of this until recently, he has begun to move... which is a problem because as I said, my husband is very prideful and he despises Sirzechs butting into his affairs. His pride can't take his own son counteracting his decisions, even with Sirzechs immense power.” Venelana explains, I can't say I blame the man.

“Lady Gremory... how do you know Rias visited Sirzechs?” Grayfia asks making her scoff.

“Grayfia, you do remember that the mansion you and Sirzechs call your home is a Gremory property, with Gremory staff working there? Our old summer home at that, Zeoticus thought it was funny to have Sirzechs sleep in the master bedroom he was almost certainly conceived in.” Venelana points out with a giggle as Grayfia blushes.

The Satan Lucifer lives in his parents house?

“As I was saying, Sirzechs left the house shortly after the meeting and was seen looking thought the law books... on contracts, which means despite him refusing to help Rias in this for quite literally years, he has changed his mind. I don't know why he has done so now despite Rias begging him for years to help her, I have some suspicions but I would rather confirm them before I speak of them. My point is that I don't want my family torn apart over this but Sirzechs and Zeoticus are both too stubborn to back down and this is only going to get worse, that said I have a decent idea of what Sirzechs is planning, he might be powerful but he's always been fairly predictable, at least for me...” Venelana says proudly.

“And it involves me?”

“I believe so, but even if it doesn't I have a plan of my own to stop all this nonsense, and I require your assistance, for which you will be well rewarded. I believe Sirzechs plans for Rias to seduce you, and then to use your relative untouchable status to make a new betrothal between you and Rias by making it too enticing for Zeoticus to refuse, you are the new golden boy of the underworld after all. It would be a slap in the face of the Phenex family, but thanks to Lady Leviathan, you are beyond reproach, and with a new contract Sirzechs could... reset the time frame, giving Rias months or even years she doesn't have now while they look for a way to then cancel that contract.” Venelana explains making me pause.

I can see the logic.

“It won't work of course, Zeoticus is on far too good terms with Lord Rakul Phenex to spit in his face like that, no matter the benefits having Rias be married to Serafall's golden boy would bring, and I fear Rias and Sirzechs will act... extremely irrationally as the deadline approaches. So I came up with my own plan to stop my family from self-destructing, and that is why I require your aid, but of course my family's troubles are not yours, and you'd be right to refuse and send Rias away when she inevitably comes knocking... but I can assure you that I will make it worth the effort.” Venelana says quickly.

“I'm going to admit, getting stuck in the middle of all this isn't exactly appealing, but... I can hear you out at the very least.” I offer making her smile. “What is this magical plan of yours.”

“It has two rather simple, though perhaps difficult, steps to begin with... firstly, I need you to befriend Riser Phenex, something I believe I can assist with, and secondly I need you to seduce my daughter.” Venelana says bluntly as I pause.

“...what?”

“Even if a new contract was formed, Rias would turn her hatred of Riser into a hatred of you, and this ridiculous game would continue, however if Rias fell for you before any contract was formed, she'd be happy to marry you and would stop fighting with her father so much. When Rias comes to seduce you, I want you to resist and instead turn the table on her, seducing her instead. At the risk of sounding insulting, I do believe Rias will be rather... easy, she has specific ideas of how her romance should go and matching those ideas would have her falling for you quickly enough... you will have to convince her that you share her affections, which may be the hard part.” Venelana says as I stare at her.

“...you want me to convince your daughter that I love her, so she marries me?” I ask, making her nod. Fucking devils, I'm one of them and they still surprise me.

  
“We are on a time limit, and I don't know if true affection can sprout so quickly... but as I said, marriage in the underworld is not about love or affection, though Rias is a wonderful girl and I do believe you would grow fond of her in time, even if _true love_ never grows. As for Rias, she needs a hero and if one appears I have no doubt she will at the very least convince herself she is in love, inexperienced girl that she is. Make no mistake, I want to see Rias happy and I have no doubt she will be if my plan works out. It may seem cruel but I am working with the cards that Zeoticus, Sirzechs and Rias have dealt me.” Venelana explains.

“I suppose I can see that, and Riser?”

“Riser is a young man who enjoys his easy, free life... and after observing him with Rias I have realised something. He wants this marriage as much as Rias does, but unlike Rias he is willing to go through with it to please his father, it isn't easy being the third son after all. Riser is not a bad man, a lustful and prideful one, but as I said... that just comes with being a Devil, and I believe that if you befriended him and convinced him that you had strong feelings for Rias, he would be unwilling to hurt a friend in such a way and would be far more open to convincing his father to call off the marriage.” Venelana says as I pause.

Holy fuck she is a scheming one.

I'm partially scared and even more turned on.

“It would still be an embarrassment for the Phenex family.” Grayfia points out, making Venelana smile.

“Perhaps, but I have a plan for that as well...” Venelana says making me chuckle, of course she does. “Do you know that Rakul Phenex once spent a fortune that several less wealthy houses combined couldn't match to acquire some Phoenix tears, real Phoenix tears instead of the pale imitation that the Phenex's can produce?” Venelana asks making me pause, sending a mental call out to Nyx as she flames into the room, landing on my shoulder. “They turned out to be fake and Rakul incinerated the conman, but it was a lasting mark of shame that he was so easily conned at the time. The Phenex family have searched for a Phoenix for as long as I can remember... with no success.”

“My familiar is off limits, so if you think I'm going to give Nyx away to get Rias out of a marriage you can fuck right off.” I warn coldly, my amusement faded as she smiles.

**+10 Affection with Nyx for putting the mere devil in her place [55/100]**

**+10 Obedience with Nyx for reaffirming your bond [90/100]**

**[The Master of Myths] - Nyx [50]**

**Mythical Creatures come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they do share is a strange fondness for you. You have a way with these mystical, and sometimes divine creatures, making them less liable to eat you. Game Note, less liable to eat you does not mean they won't still try to eat you anyway, but they'll probably feel really bad about it later.**

**+5 Affection with Venelana Gremory for proving that there is a good man somewhere in there [15/100]**

“Then it is a good thing that I have no such desires, but what I do want to know is whether Nyx here can shed tears? For the Phenex, shedding tears is something that they have to do in an rather complicated and time consuming ritual, the second son spends almost all his time producing them for the family business due to his unnatural skill at it in comparison to the rest of his family, and even still he can barely produce a small vial every couple of days... there is a reason they is so expensive.” Venelana explained before Nyx let out a smug cry, small tears falling from her eyes and onto my shirt.

“Nyx says the Phenex devils are... pathetic imposters, or at least that is the polite version, and that she could outcry them all combined.” I point out making Venelana chuckle at my prideful familiar.

“Then you will never have to worry about finances, and a vial or two of her tears should be more to make Rakul happily call off the marriage, and with a new contract with you Zeoticus would still be happy himself. Everyone is happy, my family doesn't tear itself apart, and you'll likely end up Lord Gremory, joining one of the wealthiest and well connected houses in the underworld, married to a beautiful and brilliant, if lazy, young woman.” Venelana says proudly. “Of course, Sirzechs has probably offered you something for helping Rias, feel free to accept that as well, any devil would enjoy being paid twice for one contract, and I am open to paying you in both material goods and personal services if you require additional enticement.”

“Your plan requires me to befriend Riser and make Rias fall for me in the time frame of... two weeks, you do realise that slight flaw right?” I ask making her smile.

“And as I said, I can help with both of those things.” Venelana points out. “For Riser, I believe we can start as early as tonight... if you are amicable.”

  
“Lord Dantalion has a meeting with-” Grayfia starts before Venelana cuts in.

“Lord Ajuka, I am well aware... but Ajuka has another meeting later tonight, which means he doesn't expect whatever you are going to do to take too long, and it means you will already be in the capital later.” Venelana says easily, making me pause again.

She really does scare me, more than Grayfia could hope to. Grayfia is powerful, true... but Venelana is a different sort of intimidating.

“So, with that in mind, would you give me the honour of going on a date with me tonight?” Venelana asks making me freeze.

What.

“Sorry, what?” I ask as I stare at the smiling devil. I can't predict this woman at all.

“A date, I'm sure you are not unfamiliar with the concept. You and me, at a very popular club in the Underworld... coincidentally on the same night of the week that Riser frequents it.” Venelana says with a smile.

“...what are you going to say to your husband? If this place is popular, more than a few people will see us.”

“I'll tell him that I went on a date with a handsome young devil, we have been married for a very long time, and he has other woman to warm his bed tonight. You need not fear for my marriage, while he will not desire the details he will care little for what I get up to... I made that clear when he decided he wanted a harem despite being married to me, if he wanted to pursue other women then I wanted the same right, even if I exercise it far more rarely and haven't... kept any of my dalliances as Zeoticus is fond of doing.” Venelana says casually, didn't she say Zeoticus was misogynistic? I'm getting the feeling Zeoticus doesn't wear the pants in this relationship.

“Hm, so we just bump into Riser and then what?”

“Riser is a simple man, he treats his Peerage like trophies, and ones that he is immensely proud of at that, when you arrive with me and Grayfia hanging off your arms, it will send a message, that you are someone he wants to know...”  
  


“Wait, me?” Grayfia says quickly.

  
“My original plan just had me being his arm-candy, but with you already under his control I might as well make use of her, you don't mind Kuro?” Venelana asked making me smirk, glancing at Grayfia.

“None.”

“Excellent, it is no exaggeration to say that Grayfia is one of the most well-known women in the underworld, and I am rather renown as well, with us both as your arm-candy, Riser won't be able to resist wanting to meet you... and from there you simply need to act like the kind of person Riser loves... that is to say, himself.” Venelana says with a giggle.

  
“...how am I supposed to act like someone I've never met?” I ask making her chuckle.

“Oh, he isn't a complicated man. I'm sure you'll enjoy playing the part, I'll arrange for the outfits for all three of us, I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing what I have in mind as well... just remember, I gave you a tour of the capital and you impressed me enough for me to let you take me clubbing, impress me at the club and you'll be taking me home as well.” Venelana says with a sultry smile. “And if you needed any more convincing to at least go along with step one, Riser is the kind of man who gropes his girls in public just to prove they're his... and you will be acting similarly to him...” she trails off, her hand running down her front making her breasts bounce.

“...well, I need to introduce myself to the Underworld locals sooner or later anyway.”

I can always back out later on, but Venelana seems like someone I want on my side.

**+5 Affection with Venelana for going along with the start of her plan [20/100]**

“Excellent, then I will leave you to prepare for Ajuka, he's rather an intense man after all... and we can meet at the Gremory Estate to prepare for our date afterwards, if that is alright with you?” Venelana says as she rises.

“Works for me, I'll be looking forwards to it.”

Watching her walk away, I briefly acknowledge that she is leading me around by my dick, but if anyone has to do it, it might as well be her.

Damn.

**\- Later -**

“Ahh, so this is Serafall's new project.” the grinning blonde man says as he looks me over, making my eyes narrow slightly. “Kuro, you don't mind if I call you Kuro right, you've really shook things up lately, enough that lil Ajuka here actually decided to admit that this whole afterlife business was something that needed more than just him. I'm Azazel by the way, Fallen Angel extraordinaire.” Azazel says with a grin as Ajuka rolls his eyes.

“We have work to do, Azazel, and a limited amount of time to do it. This won't stay secret forever, and we need more information before it becomes public.” the green haired Satan says, a serious expression on his face. “Thank you for bringing Lord Dantalion Grayfia, wait outside, we can't risk any distractions.” he orders with casual tone, Grayfia's face twitching in anger before she sighs and walks out of the room.

“Ahh, hate to see her leave but love to watch her go... you tapped that yet?” Azazel asks, tossing an arm around my shoulder.

As I go to respond, Ajuka cuts in.

“Azazel, focus. To start, your payment for assisting in this experiment.” Ajuka says blandly as he hands over a small briefcase. “Mutation Evil Pieces, more powerful that the usual ones, it is good that you haven't used any of your old Evil Pieces yet since I made the system so each devil can only have a single set connected to them.”

“But that's boring, and I've got a better prize for you, you see while Ajuka has his Evil Pieces, and he's right to be proud of them... I'm the greatest expert in Sacred Gears since my old man himself, so good I can even make artificial ones, so that's my offer... help out with our little experiment and I'll make you a custom Sacred Gear, you can even pick what it does, no need to decide right now.”

A Sacred Gear and some better Evil Pieces for summoning some souls?

“Well, I suppose I'm already here... but aren't we at war?” I ask Azazel making him chuckle.

“A war colder than a frost giants asshole, but yes... but here's the thing, plenty of devils and fallen want the war to go on forever, thinking we should all kill each other until only one side is left standing... but how many people do you think would be willing to fight the 'good fight' if they hear that only eternal suffering is waiting for us?” Azazel asks, poking my side. “Because I sure as fuck don't want to spend an eternity being tortured after I die, and no matter how strong you are there is always a chance that someone weaker than you will get lucky, so I have some strong personal motivations to make sure this war of ours doesn't heat back up.” Azazel pointed out with a smirk. “Assuming we Fallen don't get a different afterlife, but that's why we are here today.”

“The sooner we get this done, the better.” Ajuka pointed out as he stared at Azazel making him shrug.

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“This experiment is fairly simple, assuming you can do what we require... we will give you names, images and information on specific dead people from different races, and you will attempt to call their soul so we can question them.” Ajuka explains, some enthusiasm entering his tone.

  
“Don't mind Ajuka, he's a bit of a mad scientist and only really cares about his experiments, but he has a point... the anticipation is killing me, and I don't enjoy being edged, so do you need anything or can we begin? We do have a limited amount of time unfortunately since two faction leaders can't disappear for too long.” Azazel says as I pause.

“I should be able to do it, where do we start?” I ask making him chuckle.

“Where indeed, Ajuka?” Azazel asks.

“An Angel to begin with, they are the least likely to be in this Hell after all.” Ajuka says, making Azazel nod.

“Also the most likely to be unwilling to cooperate, but so be it... I know just the guy.” Azazel said with a growing grin, grabbing one of the files they clearly prepared ahead of time.

Handing it over to me, I pause as I start to read.

“You want me... to summon an archangel?” I ask making Azazel laugh as Ajuka sighs in annoyance, giving Azazel a dirty look..

“Oh, definitely... but don't worry, even if you can't control him me and Ajuka certainly can.” Azazel says quickly. “I just want to see one of my long-lost brothers, is that so bad?”

Looking at the drawing of the handsome blonde man, I pause as I reach out with my power, searching for the soul of Raguel, Archangel of Justice, Fairness, Vengeance and Redemption.

If it wasn't for the fact that Isis has assured me that there won't be any more sudden possessions, and the fact that two of the strongest beings around are waiting in the wings, I wouldn't dare try and summon someone like this, but as I grasp the soul I feel my mana start to drain somewhat, even as golden light starts to take shape, the spectral form of a young man with ten wings behind his back, shirtless except for an armoured shoulder pad.

“How... where am I? Devils.. wait, AZAZEL!” Raguel roars as Azazel immediately bursts out laughing.

“Oh damn, I didn't think this would work.” Azazel chuckles as Raguel attempts to create a light spear, his magic failing him. “Sorry, Ragy... but you're dead.”

“A fact of which I am well aware, traitor, it was your spear that ended my life.” Raguel growls as he glares at Azazel, ignoring us completely.

“Dammit Azazel.” Ajuka sighs as Azazel giggles to himself like a child.

“So, Ragy, how was the afterlife? I'm not being mean, I really need to know.” Azazel asks as Raguel glares at him.

“You expect me to help you, after this?!”

“Yup. This might actually help make peace between the three factions and end a war that has been ongoing for centuries, claiming millions of lives... So...” Azazel trails off as Raguel pauses, sighing.

“I pity you, devils... to be trapped in the same mortal plane as him. Very well, I would not let a grudge cost lives, even the lives of devils and fallen. I know not what you want me to say however, my last memory was being struck down from the skies by Azazel's spear, I fell and knew I met my end... then I was here, a mere spectre of my true self.” Raguel explained as Ajuka quickly started making notes.

  
“Hmm, no afterlife for Angels? Curious, if I recall you fell in battle close to six hundred years ago, and yet you remember it as if it was recent.” Ajuka mumbles.

“For me, it has been minutes, my vision faded and then when it cleared I was here. I have nothing else to tell you. Boy, it is your power keeping me on this plane is it not? Release me.” Raguel ordered, making me glance at Azazel and Ajuka, getting a reluctant nod form Ajuka.

  
“As you wish, have a nice eternity in the void.” I say as I cancel the spell keeping him here, watching as he started to fade away.

“Watch yourself boy, I wouldn't wish Azazel on even a devil.” Raguel warned as he faded from existence, his soul leaving to... somewhere? I can feel countless souls in the distance as I use my power, but I can't differentiate between the feeling of the Void and Hell yet.

Neither was harder than the other to summon.

“Well that's just rude.” Azazel said as he watched him murder victim fade away. “Curious, I'm fairly certain father is responsible for this Hell Izan spoke off, but I would have expected Raguel to boast of some Heaven for Angels, and yet I am sure he telling the truth.”

“You didn't think to mention that you killed him?” Ajuka asked making Azazel laugh.

“I wasn't lying when I said he'd be the best choice, Raguel wouldn't let his anger risk lives, and he held no hatred for devils or fallen, something many of those who died in the war don't share.” Azazel said calmly. “But let us move on, a Fallen or a Devil next?”

“A Fallen, I take it you already know who you want to summon?” Ajuka said as he finished making notes, checking some kind of device over to the side of the room with a frown. “The detector barely managed to pick up Raguel when he showed up, but it couldn't work out where he went.” Ajuka said making Azazel sigh.

“Naturally, that would be to easy.” he agreed as he passed over the next file.

Araquiel, a Fallen Angel of Knowledge.

“After summoning a Archangel, this seems like a bit of a downgrade.” I comment as I cast my spell again, watching Ajuka scowl at one of his devices.

“Perhaps, Araquiel was certainly no Archangel... just a regular angel who had the deck stacked against her from the start.” Azazel said, almost sadly as he gave me a small smile. “As an Angel of Knowledge, it was her duty to learn... and as such, she was naturally inquisitive, but when you have a bastard like my father deciding what knowledge you can and can't learn, inquisitive Angels don't tend to last... I certainly didn't.”

“Didn't you fall because you accidentally stumbled across a mortal farm girl bathing in the river?” Ajuka asks making Azazel pause. “Here me, Mortal, by order of the Heavens, you must spread your legs for me.” Ajuka says mockingly as he writes.

“Heh, mortals never were the smartest... and daddy dearest wasn't impressed with me invoking his name to get laid. Okay, fine, I was inquisitive about the wrong thing but my point still stands, father made many Angels curious and inquisitive then tossed them out for being curious about the wrong thing.”

As the new figure forms, I stare in slight confusion at the sight of the frankly tiny girl, barely five foot tall as she hovers in front of us, short, shoulder length black hair bouncing slightly as she looks around, shivering.

“W-what... A-Azazel?” Araquiel asks, staring at him.

  
“Hello Araquiel, welcome back to the land of the living.” Azazel says kindly.

“I... how? How did you bring me out of that place...” Araquiel asks making Azazel sigh.

“My new friend here called your spirit out of the afterlife... the afterlife we didn't know existed. Araquiel, I know this may be hard but I need to know what you experienced after your death.” Azazel asks making her frown.

“I... pain. Pain and torment, punishment for falling.” Araquiel says quietly, making Azazel pause, letting out a sigh.

“As expected, but I had hoped... are you certain it was punishment?”

“I am, when I... when I died, I remember a voice, cold and booming as it gave my sentence. _Araquiel, Fallen Angel of Knowledge, for the crime of leaving Gods light, and seeking forbidden knowledge, you will suffer eternally._ I haven't forgotten, even after everything that followed...” Araquiel admits making Ajuka and Azazel glance at each other.

“Lord Dantalion, nothing you hear here is to leave this room... Azazel, The God of the Bible has been dead a long time, longer than Araquiel here has been dead for.” Ajuka pointed out making Azazel nod.

  
“It wasn't... his voice, I'm sure of that.” Araquiel said, making them pause.

“So who exactly is giving the sentences? Not Michael, and he is in control of the Seat of Heaven now.” Azazel agrees.

“I doubt Michael was even aware of this, though we will have to find out... if Heaven is controlling this system, they will be destroyed.” Ajuka says simply. “But this voice is punishing Angels for Falling.”

“Which is something Father would have definitely done.” Azazel agrees, turning back to Araquiel. “I'm sorry to push like this... but how bad is the punishment?” he asks making her flinch back.

  
“It... it is ever changing, to stop you from getting used to the pain, and there is no end to the creativity of that place. I never saw anyone else, everything seemed... automated, impalement, incineration, being torn apart by mindless beasts, flaying, drowning, I would die, again and again, only to come back and and be subjected to a new form of execution. I... I do not wish to speak of it any more.” Araquiel said slowly, shuddering as Azazel closed his eyes.

  
“There are countless Fallen Angels who have lost their lives...” Azazel said, making Ajuka nod.

“And even more Devils.” Ajuka agreed, far less put off.

“Y-you're going to send me back, aren't you?” Araquiel asked looking between us, Azazel flinching slightly.

  
“It is a constant drain on Lord Dantalion's mana to keep her in this realm, I've been monitoring it, though a small one.” Ajuka pointed out coldly.

“We can wait at least, there is no rush, and he keeps old Izan around easily enough.” Azazel counters.

They are both right, keeping Araquiel here costs me around 200 of my total mp to maintain, and I only have 6000 total. Izan is easier because I have stuck him in a mortal body, he doesn't need maintenance.

Could I get a body for Araquiel? Not easily I don't think, and it wouldn't be an Angel body... but perhaps I can do something? I can't save every Fallen and Devil, frankly I don't even want to. It is not my responsibility... though I imagine I could make quite a profit by doing so.

“I can maintain her, for now at least.” I offer making Ajuka sigh.

“It is a waste of mana... but very well.”

**+20 Reputation with Azazel for giving his sister a break. [35/100]**

**+40 Affection with Araquiel for sparing her the eternal torture, for a short while at least. [40/100]**

Wait, does it mean sister as in fellow angel, or sister as in... _sister_?

“I... Thank You, Lord Dantalion, was it?” Araquiel says quietly, hugging herself slightly as she floats.

The experiment continues on, and the results are telling...

The Reincarnated Devil I summoned had suffered the same fate as Izan and Araquiel, eternal suffering... and the Pureblood Devil who Ajuka claimed was known for being kind for a devil had also suffered the same fate. A sample of each group was summoned, with almost identical results... not a single Fallen or Devil (Pureblood or Reincarnated) was spared suffering no matter their deeds.

Some remembered the voice sentencing them, most did not.

The constant tales of suffering got me thinking, some punishments rather unique... A devil known for being very slothful was forced to work though eternal excruciating labour, A fallen who was known for his prideful nature was made a slave serving faceless figures, but they all shared a common trait, pain.

Some had nothing but pain, others had punishments tailor-made for them, but they were all punished.

We even summoned humans who would not have gone to any of the various afterlives, such as Hades, Valhalla, Helheim, or Heaven itself... and found the same story, if you didn't get into an afterlife, you get to suffer instead regardless of your deeds in life.

Apparently, Azazel got permission from Odin to summon some souls from Valhalla and Helheim for a time, just to see if I could... I can, by the way even if I sent them back quickly. I'd rather not cross Hel even with Odin's permission.

We avoided souls that would have gone to Hades, or any of the other Mythological Afterlives, apparently the God Hades guards his souls jealously and the other Death Gods aren't much better.

It all got me thinking real hard... I don't want to go to this all encompassing Hell if I die, and this is DxD, even if I grind like a motherfucker there are some true monsters in this place, and I need a way to make sure I don't end up like the rest of these guys.

I need my own afterlife.

**Personal Quest Added**

**[I'll make my own Afterlife, with Blackjack and Hookers] – Quest Giver: You**

**Objective: Find a way to create your own afterlife**

**Reward: An Eternity of... whatever you want, on the chance that you die.**

“Right, we are quickly running out of time but there is one last test to do.” Azazel pointed out, making Ajuka sigh.

“I still believe this is pointlessly risky, and irrelevant but so be it.” Ajuka agrees as they pass the final file over to me.

Opening it up, I immediately see why Ajuka seemed disapproving.

The blonde woman in the picture is a true beauty, wearing bikini armour of all things, strange glowing tattoo going up her leg as she holds a rune-carved sword as she looks sternly at laughing man with an eye-patch and an incredible beard... but reading her 'profile' I wonder if this is a good idea.

Summoning a Goddess seems like a dangerous game, and I frankly don't know enough about Freya to say how she is going to take it.

“Don't worry kiddo, I knew Freya pretty well, but her death has been a mystery for centuries, one I hope to answer here today.” Azazel said as I took a deep breath, sending my power out and searching for the Goddess's soul.

I am well aware that Isis guides my hand on this part, how else could I find the souls so easily, but I need no help finding this soul as it burns far more brightly that most others, few comparing to it as I realise that all the bright souls must be gods as well, they have a different... texture I suppose, to other souls.

As I grasp her soul and pull, my eyes widen as I feel my mana drop considerably... over three quarters of my reserves at work just keeping the brightly glowing spirit in this world as she looks around rapidly, still wearing her fur-adorned bikini armour, a small breast plate barely covering said breasts and leaving her stomach exposed, and a furred belt with a small loincloth hanging down to cover her privates as she stares at us.

“Hmm, your mana has dropped considerably, are you able to keep this up?” Ajuka asks, making me nod at him.

  
“Azazel, what is this? Where has that fiend, Hades gone?” Freya asks quickly, reaching for where her sword would have been sheathed before she scowls.

“Hades? Oh fuck... that's not going to go down well.” Azazel mutters. “I'm afraid you are dead, my dear... and have been for a long time. You left to answer the call of some of your worshippers and never returned, Odin tore the mortal realm apart searching for you.” Azazel admitted making her pause, frowning. “I take it you didn't experience an afterlife?”

“I did... and Hades and Loki were waiting for me, though what I had done to earn the wrath of the Greek God I do not know, I always told Odin not to trust that snake... I was in battle with Loki when that damnable God of the Dead attacked me from behind, the coward.” Freya says with a scornful sneer. “Tell me, how is Odin? Has he slaughtered that snake?”

“This... is definitely not going to go well. Odin is... alive, though he has let himself go after failing to find you, I doubt you would even recognise him any more, gone is the muscle-bound warrior and instead he looks more like a decrepit old man these days... Loki and Hades both live, though Loki hasn't been seen in a long time.” Azazel explained awkwardly.

“...Odin, my Odin, is running around as an old man? The fool couldn't have a hair on his beard out of place when I lived. I suppose times change... Is he doing well? Has he remarried?” Freya asked making Azazel freeze.

“Yeah, about that...”

“...don't say it, I'll see for myself, will I not?” Freya asked.

“You are only among the living once more due to the power of Lord Dantalion, and keeping you here is draining.” Ajuka cut in making her glare at him, not that he seemed to give a shit.

“That'd be you then, boy?” Freya asks, turning to me as she stares me over. “Well, boy? I need to speak to my husband, he'll reward you for reuniting us, in the spirit at the very least... I'll make sure he does. You have my word as Queen of the Valkyries, former Queen at least.”

**Quest Added**

**[Until Death do you... oh, never mind.] - Quest Giver: Freya**

**Objective: Reunite Odin with the Spirit of his Wife, Freya**

**Reward: ???**

“As you wish, though I do not know how to reach him.” I agree, I can do a divine quest if it just means finding Odin and casting a spell.

“Hades is in trouble~” Azazel singsongs.

“Azazel, please take the war that is undoubtedly about to break out seriously.” Ajuka says with a sigh.

**\- Later -**

I get the feeling I might have just accidentally started a war between the Greek and Norse pantheons.

I couldn't keep Freya around permanently, but I have kept Araquiel around even if I have sent her to the estate, Azazel doesn't want his people finding out until he has had time to discuss the results with the other leaders of the Grigori... and he has also promised to speak to Odin himself.

Who is absolutely going to attack Hades when the truth comes out, but is that really my problem?

...Hades is going to try and kill me, isn't he?

“Kuro, are you ready?” a voice asks as I finish buttoning up the black silk shirt and turn around, pausing as I spot Venelana as she walks into the room at the Gremory Estate, apparently Kiba is around here somewhere but everyone else is out.

In a long purple dress, she gives me a little spin as she spots me staring, her dress reaches the floor easily enough but it has two long slits up each side showing her long legs and the very low v-cut leaves her cleavage exposed, her lack of a bra clear to see as I spot a hint of areola.

If I'm about to piss off a Greek God (or a Norse God for refusing) I might as well live tonight like it is my last, though I swear to whatever God is listening, it won't be.  
  
I need to get stronger, and fast.

**\- Bonus Scene – Bryria -**

Sitting in the cold cell the devil had her thrown into, she dug into the food the blonde goblin had brought her.

Bread, water, some vegetables, an apple, nothing special... and no meat. The goblin had taken pleasure in deliberately eating some kind of roast meat while sat at the table just outside the cell she shared with the other goblin, Lezea.

After what the Bugbear had fed her for the last... she didn't know how long, it was practically a feast worthy of the gods. Water seemed like the sweetest drink off all after you spent a couple of weeks drinking Bugbear cum, and the taste of bread that wasn't mouldy or covered in urine or cum made her shiver as she devoured it in seconds.

Watching Lezea poke at her own food, she considered trying to take them before she paused. Lezea might be a goblin, but she didn't want to be stuck in a tiny cell with a pissed off barbarian, not when she was still recovering from her borderline starvation.

She had always hated Greenskins, they'd been attacking the farms and camps around her town as long as she could remember, people she knew vanishing or turning up dead on a regular basis...

She realised that the corpses were the lucky ones after she was the one grabbed, clubbed over the head by an orc and claimed as a trophy of their raid. When she woke up, she was naked and in chains as the orc claimed her as his spoil, then the bugbear smashed his skull in and decided that she was his instead.

And now the bugbear was dead, and a devil had claimed her. Time would tell if the devil was worse still.

Gods give her strength.

**Authors Note: So, I was supposed to be working three shifts this week. I just looked back at my rota and I'm working double that. What. Fucking Kill Me.**


	10. Date Night

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 10: Date Night**

It might come as a surprise to some people, but I didn't accept this date because I care about Rias's situation, the state of the devil race or even because I want to fuck Venelana, though I absolutely do.

I've pissed off Hades, and that isn't going to end well for me.

I couldn't just pretend I couldn't summon Freya, I mean... am I really going to try lying to fucking Azazel and Ajuka Beelzebub? I am a fairly good liar but I have my limits, and trying to bullshit to the face of two people both far older and more experienced than me?

So I had to at least try, and now I'm stuck between the Norse and Greek Gods in a possible war, especially since I don't know what DxD Zeus is like and he could side with or against Hades. Zeus ranges from this noble king of gods to the biggest douchebag and rapist on Olympus.

Basically, I have an incoming shit-storm and Gamer or not, I can't hope to catch up to a literal god in the short amount of time I have before Hades or Loki decide to come deal with me, and I need meat-shields capable of standing between a pair of unhappy gods and myself...

And the list of people capable of doing that is short indeed, and while I think I can rely on Serafall I don't know how strong she is compared to the likes of Hades and Loki. Venelana is powerful, but more importantly so is Grayfia and Sirzechs... if pretending I care about Rias's upcoming marriage means I can use Sirzechs as my human... devil shield then so be it.

  
The fact is, this 'date' isn't me agreeing to help, when this is over I can just back away and distance myself from this entire situation, and what will I have lost? A single night of free time, while I get to potentially befriend Riser (whose family is fairly powerful), while flexing on the devils by having Grayfia and Venelana hanging off my arms for the night.

I need allies, and while I could grab Issei for Boosted Gear... he couldn't even beat Riser in the time-frame I have before I can expect divine retribution to head my way, and I don't have the first clue of how I would steal Boosted Gear from him.

Even if I could, I frankly don't trust sentient power sources (Isis being the only exception). I don't want fucking Ddraig stuck in my head, even if I could steal him. It's why I think I'm going to try and fleshcraft him into... something?  
  
But I need to improve my fleshcrafting before I can make him into anything that could fight a fucking God or a Gods agents.

So I need allies I can rely on to protect me long enough for me to be able to protect myself, and with Sirzechs being so stupidly powerful, he'll do... plus, from what Grayfia, Venelana and Sirzechs himself have said, Rias is his big glowing weak spot.

I don't give a flying fuck about Rias, but I do care about how I can use her to secure myself... I wonder if I could use her blood to grant an abomination the Power of Destruction? It'd be easier to get than Sirzechs and Venelana is far too smart for me to risk it with her.

Rias has special shounen powers purely due to being the main girl in the series, and I'd be a fool not to take advantage of that.

“I don't believe my king would approve of this.” Grayfia says with a deep scowl as she looks over her own tiny purple dress, barely covering half her ass as she tries to pull it down, accidentally making her cleavage even more apparent in the process.

Not that it really makes much of a difference with the heart cut out of the front of her dress, leaving eighty percent of her breasts on display as the dress barely manages to cover her nipples.

“Would you prefer I call him and ask permission?” Venelana asks with a utterly carefree smile despite her own revealing dress, though Grayfia's is far more slutty... I get the feeling that is deliberate as Venelana seems far too proud of herself.

Pausing, Grayfia goes to speak before she sighs and stares back at her mother in law.

“That won't be necessary.” Grayfia practically growls, if Sirzechs is willing to pimp her out he is hardly going to complain about a slutty dress.

“Good, you do know your role for tonight, correct?” Venelana asks making Grayfia frown.

  
“I am to be Kuro's... arm candy so he can impress the Phenex boy and get the bragging rights of having us as his date.” Grayfia agrees making Venelana nod.

“Indeed, and as his arm candy I need you to play your part... I don't need you to look happy, you are known for being stoic and it would be suspicious for you to act cheerful, but I can't have you making Riser suspicious that he is being played by seeing visibly unhappy to be by Kuro's side... even when he is playing the part.” Venelana said making her scowl. “See, you can't even stop yourself from frowning already and I need you to remain stoic even as Kuro treats you like Riser would treat his girls... Riser isn't a fool, and seeing the sister-in-law and mother of his unwilling betrothed show up will put his guard up, and we will have to sell the act as his dates... Kuro, can you come over here please?” Venelana asked making me step forwards.

Pulling me to the couch, she sat next to me and gestured to my other side.

Grayfia audibly sighed as she moved next to me, sitting next to me with a slight gap between us even as Venelana rested against me. As Venelana stared at her, Grayfia reluctantly did the same and leaned into my side.

“Now, Kuro... grope her. Grayfia, keep your face blank, we have some time and we aren't leaving here until you can keep a straight face so you don't ruin my plans...” Venelana said bluntly, Grayfia staring back before she sighed again, her scowl fading as she put on a bored blank look on her face.

Reaching around Grayfia as she leans against me, I slide my hand down her side watching as she immediately frowns slightly, outright scowling as it comes to rest on her ass, giving her barely covered booty a slight squeeze.

“Ugh, no, no no... that's all wrong. Honestly, do you and Sirzechs only have sex in the bedroom with the lights off for the sake of procreation?” Venelana asks sarcastically. “Kuro, grope me. Pay attention Grayfia.” she orders as I quickly do the same to Venelana, a breathy moan leaving her lips as she presses her tits against my chest, staring up at me with a slight blush.

I don't like taking orders, but when the order is 'grope me' I can make an exception.

“...I am not moaning like some street corner harlot.” Grayfia immediately counters making Venelana sigh.

“Then don't, but until you can take a little groping without looking like someone just murdered your puppy and kicked its head at you, we aren't going anywhere.” Venelana says sternly as she moves back, looking over us. “Sit in Kuro's lap, facing him.” she orders as Grayfia pauses, their eyes locking.

Whatever this silent battle of wills is supposed to be, Venelana clearly wins it as Grayfia moves into my lap, staring me down with a rather cold expression even as she sits, her pussy pressing against my hardening bulge, the tiny purple thong Venelana chose for her doing very little to provide her with any cover as the dress rides up.

“More purple?” I ask in amusement as I wrap my hands around Grayfia and rest them on her ass, pulling her dress up so I can reach beneath it and paw at her bare ass-cheeks.

“It's important to know what colours suit you when you accessories, and arm candy is as much an accessory for men as a purse is for women. Dark colours suit you best, and the Dantalion crest is a deep purple, it's subtle but with us both wearing Dantalion colours it will add to the idea of you claiming us for those smart enough to understand it. If I didn't need to be subtle and Grayfia wasn't such a prude we could have used something more bold like a collar but oh well. Now, Grayfia... we are going to practice this for the next fifteen minutes, and if you can't maintain a blank expression by then I will move onto my next plan... after all, if we go to the club with you leaking Kuro's cum down your inner thigh, I think the image would be sold well enough regardless of your inability to act, and don't try bringing up my son again or I call him and get permission for you to ride Kuro's dick.” Venelana says bluntly, walking behind Grayfia and simply reaching around, yanking the front of her dress down causing her tits to bounce free.

Before Grayfia could react to her sudden nudity, Venelana reached around and grabbed her breasts roughly, groping them as Grayfia let out a surprised squeak, her eyes widening as Venelana's fingers tweaked her nipple.

“I don't care if you look bored, or just your usual cold self... but unless you can stop with that ridiculous scowl, you're going to be taking that dick pressing against you soon. By the Satans, Grayfia... I've never seen such a prudish devil, clearly it's a miracle I have a grandson.” Venelana scolds even as she leans in and attaches her lips to Grayfia's nape, sucking slightly as one of her hands makes its way downwards.

“My relationship with Sirzechs is my business.” Grayfia says coldly, even as she tries to keep her face blank, a slight blush on her cheeks and a frown on her face as Venelana slips her hand beneath her thong, her dress pulled up around her stomach at this point.

The blush on her face grows almost immediately as Venelana lets out an amused hum, pulling her hand back and looking at it with a raised eyebrow, a slight wetness to her fingers.

“Hmm, you still look rather unhappy but maybe reluctant arousal will work just as well? Well, if it doesn't Kuro can just finger you under the table, that should deal with any doubt...” Venelana mumbles as she steps back, pulling the dress back up. “Grayfia, go and collect the handbags I chose for us.”

It couldn't be a more obvious dismissal, but when her other choice was to sit here and be molested, Grayfia quickly hops out of my lap and fixes her dress, her face carefully blank despite the blush as she walks away.

“When we are in the club, at the right time... order Grayfia to take her thong off and give it to you.” Venelana says calmly as we are left alone.

“...I don't particularly like being told what to do.” I respond calmly, making her nod.

“I know.” Venelana says, just as calmly.

“And you're going to have to make it worth my while for me to actually continue past step one, the only reason I'm going this far without you actually making an offer other than saying it'll be worth it is because I could use a new friend and all it is costing me is a night.” I point out making her nod again. “If you can't make it worth the trouble to free Rias, I'll enjoy my night then call it quits and leave her to her fate.” I warn making her smile.

“Of course, you're a devil and a Lord at that... I realise that sex alone won't suffice as payment for you helping me with my family problems, and I am more than open to negotiating with you... when Grayfia isn't lurking in the background, as I'm sure everything we say will get back to Sirzechs sooner or later and I am willing to give up quite a bit more than Sirzechs or my husband would allow to see my family remain intact. Sirzechs will hear of my plan eventually, and he will help because it's better than anything he could come up with, though I doubt he'll ever openly acknowledge it.” Venelana says bluntly. “For now, you simply have to enjoy your night and make a new friend, I'm just your date and arm-candy, as for Grayfia? It is clear she isn't going to be able to pull off the act we need, so I have a better plan... ”

**\- Riser -**

Out of all the clubs in the Underworld, this was his favourite.

Not because it was the biggest or most popular club in the capital city of Lilith, though he could see why, but it was his favourite because during one of his parental-mandated dates with Rias, she tripped and spilled her drink on herself because she was too busy glaring to notice the step.

It was a fond memory, and it made him smile, even if the pictures of Rias wearing a soaked white top, almost see-through, had been taken down quickly by her overbearing siscon brother.

He wouldn't be surprised if Sirzechs had a copy saved somewhere, as Lucifer's lust for his little sister was a poorly kept secret, and anyone who saw them together would notice the way his eyes lingered on her body... but who in the right mind would call out fucking Sirzechs Lucifer?

It wasn't even that surprising, incest was hardly outlawed in the underworld, it was a sin and they were devils after all... the only reason it was even frowned upon was because of the chance of birth defects.

When it could take centuries for a woman to get pregnant, even with constant sex, the worst possible thing would be the baby dying in childbirth or having genetic defects.

If two relatives were just fucking for the sake of fucking and using the very rarely used devil contraceptives, who cared? Sex was fun, and who cared who was fucking who if no-one got hurt.

So if Sirzechs decided to take Rias as his assistant and have her spend her day-shifts on her knees beneath his desk, no one would really care... or amusingly enough the Old Satans wouldn't care but some of the more sensitive New Satans would... there was always that rift between the reincarnated devils with their human sensibilities and the Pureblood devils.

It was the main reason he didn't particularly like reincarnated devils, half the time they forgot they weren't human any more and they were almost as judging as his beloved betrothed... perhaps that was why she liked living among them.

Sitting at his private booth, he winced at the thought of how much it had cost him to arrange for one of the booths in the most popular club in the underworld... on a weekend.

He might be a Phenex, but he was also a third son and had a strict spending limit that he had a habit of exceeding, but it was all about the prestige.

Plenty of his fellow nobles were in this club, from Pillar family heirs and heiresses to his fellow second and third sons... and he was the only one in their age group to have one of the coveted private booths while the rest were in the public area of the club.

He'd pick someone later to invite to join him, whether it be an friend to help maintain their friendship or a stranger to make a new one, and for a third son like him having alliances and friendships was essential.

Normally he'd be looking for a female Heiress to attempt to woo for a marriage to raise his station, but obviously that wasn't in the cards for him, though that sometimes worked in his favour as his position as a 'taken man' meant he could invite female nobles to join him without it seeming like he was trying to court them, allowing him to make some friendships that would have been impossible otherwise, and friendships were essential to an easy life.

Last week he'd invited Latia Astaroth, the niece of Ajuka Beelzebub himself, and since his engagement was well-known she had believed that he wasn't trying to get in her panties. She wasn't an heiress but having even a small friendship with a relative of a Satan was helpful since Rias and even Sona didn't like him.

He didn't think Sona's dislike of him was due to Rias, but Sona was just too serious to get along with someone like him. Latia didn't have Rias's hatred and she was more easy-going than Sona, so it made for a nice night and allowed the seeds of friendship to be planted.

Watching the club doors open, he felt his brain reboot as he watched a familiar looking figure walk through the door, with two far more familiar looking figures on his arms.

He knew who Kuro Dantalion was, of course, he paid attention to recent events if only to see if they'd effect him, and while the return of the Dantalion's hadn't concerned him their assassination was big news, enough for him to somewhat pay attention to the developing story.

So he'd seen pictures of Kuro Dantalion before...

As for the others? How could he fail to recognise his future mother in law and sister-in-law as they hung off his arms, both dressed far more scantily than he had ever seen them before, though some of Venelana's dresses she wore at home came close.

Grayfia though... he'd never seen her in anything besides her maid outfit, and watching as her tiny purple dress rode up enough to give a glimpse of panties made his eyes widening, a familiar feeling of arousal flooding his loins.

Kuro looked around in mild interest, while Venelana whispered into his ear, her colossal tits pressing against his side as she smiled at him, but Grayfia was the one to get his attention.

She was as close to the new Dantalion Lord as Venelana was, her body pressed against Kuro's... but the look on her face was so cold he could feel a chill from here, glaring at the gawking crowd so hard they parted like the red sea allowing them to head straight to the bar.

Looking closer, he could see Kuro's hand resting on her lower back as they quickly got a public table, the angle allowing him to see Kuro's hand move just a little lower and give Grayfia, the Queen of Sirzechs Lucifer, a squeeze.

Her head swivelled to Kuro as he caressed her backside, and despite him expecting to witness a murder, she simply gave him a look before she looked away.

There was something very wrong here, and the distinct feeling of a trap closing around him put him on edge, but curiosity had always been a problem of his...

The mother and wife of Sirzechs showing up at his favourite club on the night he came here, just after the contract between him and Rias had been sped up considerably? It reeked of a set up, but if it was then he'd trigger it just because he could.

...and so he could see Grayfia in that tiny dress up close.

Watching and waiting, even as Yubelluna leaned against his chest, her hand fondling his covered crotch, he waited for them to finish their first round of drinks, taking a good twenty minutes due to Grayfia drinking like this was some high-class dinner, he glanced over at his bored sister.

He couldn't bring his entire peerage to this place, they didn't all fit, so he always brought Yubelluna and one other (or two when it was Ni and Li, or Ile and Nel's turn), working on a rotation to make sure none were left out. Keeping your harem happy was just common sense, the thing about having a harem was that you were always outnumbered and an unhappy harem was a scheming one... plus, happy girls were more enthusiastic, he learnt that the first time he pissed off Yubelluna and she was about as fun as a dead fish the next time he took her to bed, just laying on her back and spreading her legs, waiting for him to finish.

The bored sighs hurt his pride, and he quickly realised that his Queen could absolutely get her own back even with the power imbalance.

“Ravel, why don't you go invite my future mother in law and her group to join us.” Riser ordered as he smacked away Yubelluna's hand, sighing at her amused look even as Ravel rose and primly walked across the club towards where his potential guest was located.

He was horny, but he wasn't stupid enough to invite Grayfia and Venelana over while he was getting a handjob even if public displays of affection weren't even worth a second glance in the Underworld. He'd even fucked Yubelluna on this same table before, without the club owners even giving him a single word of protest. It was a club for drunk and usually horny devils, so him banging his queen wouldn't even be in the top five weirdest things they saw that week.

Hell, he could see Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas getting a blowjob at his public booth from here, but then did he really want to be comparable to Zephyrdor of all people? He gave it five years tops before Zeph managed to cause so much disgrace he got stripped of the Heir title, especially with his cousin Iryuka growing into a far more respectable (and powerful) devil.

Also, Zeph's hair looked ridiculous and the only reason the moron could get laid was because he was a heir to a decently powerful family and gold-diggers were nothing new.

As Ravel returned, he forced himself not to blatantly stare at the way Venelana's dress failed to properly restrain her chest, or at Grayfia's long pale legs as he locked eyes with the amused looking Kuro.

Giving him a mocking curtsey, Ravel took her seat again as he gestured for them to sit.

“Lady Gremory, Lady Lucifuge... I have to say it was a shock to see you here, and it seemed wrong to leave you in the common area. Lord Dantalion, I take it? I've seen your face in several magazines lately... please, join us. I am Riser Phenex, third son of the Phenex family, and this is my Queen Yubelluna, and my Bishop and little sister, Ravel.” Riser said politely as he watched them sit opposite him at their booth, Kuro between the two women.

“A pleasure, Riser... I've seen your name and face pop up as well, but this isn't a place to stand on ceremony so just call me Kuro.” Kuro said calmly, his arms around the women as he pulled them against him.

A hint of anger crossed Grayfia's face, but it was quickly replaced with resignation, his curiosity peaking... he was right to think something was wrong here as she clearly wasn't happy, but she did nothing to stop Kuro's hand from wandering.

“And please, we are going to be family... just call me Vene.” Venelana said with a cheerful smile, resting her head on Kuro's shoulder.

Grayfia said exactly nothing as she simply stared him down, making him shiver ever so slightly as he reminded himself that despite the tiny dress, she could still kill him and most everyone else in this club before he could even hope to regenerate.

“Grayfia... play nice.” Kuro ordered, making his eyes widen as Grayfia turned to him with a half-glare. “Apologise to Riser, he was nice enough to invite us to share his booth and you are being rude.”

“...I apologise for my rudeness, Riser, please call me Grayfia for tonight.” Grayfia practically bit out as she gave Kuro a dirty look, making him smile.

Leaning forwards, Kuro kissed her for just a second, a light peck on the lips, before pulling back, the frustration clear on Grayfia's face.

“Good girl.” Kuro drawled as Venelana leaned against him, giggling slightly.

What the actual fuck?

“I have to admit, I'm curious... what do Lord Gremory and Lucifer think of this?” Riser asked watching Venelana smile at him.

“My husband has a large enough harem to not mind me deciding to spend a night showing Kuro around the capital, and Sirzechs doesn't mind, does he Grayfia?” Venelana asked.

“...My King is well aware of my actions.”

“I've never been to the capital before and Venelana offered her services as a tour-guide, Grayfia is serving me for the foreseeable future to make up for an insult against my family, so I decided to bring her along.” Kuro explained making him rise an eyebrow.

He wasn't dumb enough to ask for details, family privacy was a big thing.

“So Vene is just showing you around?” Riser asked, looking at the way she was hanging off Kuro.

“Hmm, well I wouldn't say _just_ showing me around.” Kuro said, his arm going around her shoulder and his hand resting on her chest, giving one of Venelana's mega-melons a rough squeeze making her moan slightly.

“Mhmm, you're going to make me look bad in front of my future son-in-law~” Venelana moaned out as Kuro's hand slipped into her dress, groping her tit directly as he felt himself grow painfully hard. “But you don't need to worry, Riser... Zeoticus isn't going to get mad that I've decided to go on a date, not if he wants to keep his harem.” Venelana explained even as he frowned slightly.

“With all due respect, Lady Gremory... cut the bullshit.” Riser said, seeing Yubelluna and Ravel's eyes widen even as Grayfia's glare intensified. Kuro barely reacted and Venelana just tilted her head slightly. “Lord Lucifer finally decided to interfere on behalf of Rias? Only he could have made 'The Strongest Queen' be so docile, and it is no coincidence that you showed up here tonight. Is this the latest attempt from Rias to escape our engagement?”

He might be lazy and arrogant, but he was no fool, nor would he act the fool and pretend to have not caught onto the strangeness of this situation.

“Sirzechs did tell Grayfia to serve Kuro, but that wasn't anything to do with you... I'm afraid the Underworld doesn't revolve around you, and I decided to meet Kuro to soothe some ruffled feathers after Rias's knight almost attacked him, one thing lead to another and I decided that it had been a while since my last date, this is the most popular club in the Underworld and it has been so long since Zeoticus has been willing to go clubbing.” Venelana said easily, making him pause.

He had heard that the blonde knight was back in the Underworld from his father, but he didn't know the details...

“And the timing is a complete coincidence?” Riser scoffed making Kuro chuckle.

“Would some proof help? Grayfia, stand up... and remove your thong.” Kuro ordered as he turned and kissed Venelana roughly, making her moan into his mouth even as Grayfia paused before rising.

His eyes flickering between them, he focused on Grayfia as she reached beneath her dress and with a deep scowl, hooked her thumb into the purple thong he could see, pulling it down, using her free hand to pull her dress back down at the same time.

Despite her attempts, he caught the slightest hint of her lower lips as she stepped out of her thong, picking it up and sitting back down quickly.

The look she gave him could freeze his drink, but despite her clear anger and frustration she remained silent as Venelana practically devoured Kuro's face beside her.

Breaking the kiss, Venelana gasped as Kuro held out his hand, taking Grayfia's thong and pocketing it with a slight smirk.

  
“Grayfia has been a naughty girl, and Sirzechs has agreed for her to serve me as I see fit until she has repaid my family for the insult, as for Venelana? We just hit it off, or she's pretending to make up for her daughters inability to control her peerage, but either way has her hanging off my arm so I don't really care... how many people can say they've felt these after all?” Kuro drawled, still playing with Venelana's bosom with a smile. “Good luck with Rias, by the way... frankly, I think you'll need it. If you still don't believe us... I don't really care, I'm here to relax not prove myself, but these two _are_ my dates for the night, for lack of a better word.””

“...you have my thanks, I do believe you're right about me needing the luck.” Riser agreed making Kuro chuckle. “And I can certainly see why you'd go along with Venelana's attempts at... soothing things over.” Riser said as he decided to take a chance, his eyes lingering on Venelana's tits.

“Why Riser... looking at your future mother-in-law so lustfully~” Venelana teased, unbothered by his gaze. “Don't worry, large breasts run in the family and Rias will grow, not that she isn't large already.”

“And if I ever thought I'd get to touch them, I might be excited by that... Rias would sooner cut them off than let me near her breasts.” Riser pointed out with a bitter shrug as he took more of his drink.

  
He wasn't sure he was wrong, but in the end he was already pushing the limits by calling them out like that.

“Relationship troubles?” Kuro asked, taking a drink of his own.

“Heh, you could call it that... Rias hates me and blames me for _taking away her freedom_ , like I have any more choice than she does. Would you want to spend an eternity in a marriage with someone who literally hates your existence?” Riser asked making Kuro nod in agreement even as Venelana leaned over and pressed a small button, the curtain of the booth closing.

Smart, these booths could be made much more private if needed and she wouldn't want their families dirty laundry airing in a busy club.

“I don't think she hates you, Riser... you're a admirable young man, even if you're a little lazy yourself, she just hates the situation she has found herself in. I think she'd treat anyone she was engaged to the same, don't take it personally.” Venelana said calmly, making him nod.

He already knew that much.

“Plus, even if she doesn't like you, you have to admit she is one hell of a woman... definitely takes after her mother in the looks department.” Kuro pointed out as he laughed in response.

“True, but what is the point in having a sex-bomb of a wife if she'd never let you touch her? I mean, sure... the contract says I could force her to let me, but you know what would happen? She'd go crying to the Siscon Satan and he'd turn me into a pile of ash, and I can't be reborn from the ashes when he's done.” Riser scoffed before hearing Ravel gasp.

It took him a split second to remember that Sirzechs wife and mother were sat in the same booth as him.

“It occurs to me that I shouldn’t be insulting him with you both right there, but am I wrong?” Riser asked quickly, looking between them. Grayfia's glare was apparent, but Venelana seemed completely calm. “Sirzechs is a well-known siscon and he's spent years spoiling Rias, if I actually used my husbandly privileges, I'd be dead in a week.” he argued making Grayfia scowl and look away.

“I would ask that you do not call my King... that, regardless of your opinion of him.” Grayfia said coldly, making Riser smirk slightly at the lack of denial.

“Very well, but I'd rather not speak of my impending nupitals tonight, it spoils my drink.” Riser said making Kuro nod.

“Works for me, besides... your sister has been bouncing in her seat this entire time... you have something to say, Ravel?” Kuro asked making Ravel jump.

“I... I do, My Lord... is it true you have a real Phoenix as a familiar?” Ravel asked making him pause. He never understood his family's obsession with finding a Phoenix, but he had heard his parents discussing the rumours, he'd written them off to be honest.

“Another rumour from the gossip magazines? You shouldn't believe everything you hear” Kuro teased with an amused grin, making Ravel blush even as Riser chuckled at his embarrassed sister. “Though this time, they are true.” Kuro finished making her eyes widen as he gave out a low whistle, a flash of purple filling the booth immediately as a beautiful black bird appeared in a flash of flames, landing on the headboard behind Kuro as she looked over everyone with... disdain?

“She's... beautiful.” Ravel mumbled as she stared at the bird, making her preen proudly, letting out a brief song that screamed... arrogance?

“Nyx agrees, and is glad you understand.” Kuro chuckled as he reached back and stroked his familiar.

  
“Nyx... like the Goddess?” Riser asked making Kuro pause, a brief look of embarrassment passing his face.

“No, Nyx as in Phoe-Nix. I wasn't a very original child to be honest.” Kuro admitted making him chuckle. He couldn't blame him, he sucked at naming things as well, even now...

Some of the names he gave his fire attacks when he was younger and still dreamt of being an Ultimate Class Devil... he shuddered at the memory.

Cutting half a name off and calling it a day was something he wished he'd have considered instead of having a sentence-length named attacks... someone could probably kill him with embarrassment if they found out about Riser Phenex: Special Move - Roaring Flames of the Riser Phoenix, Burning Embers of the Infernal Underworld Mk8.

His ultimate move was four times as long, and they were almost identical since he sucked at actually making attacks that were more complicated than throw fireballs and hope for the best. It was why he gave up his hopes of being a top-ranked rating game combatant, he'd need a proper battle peerage and he lacked the imagination, not the power, to pull it off.

Power could be earnt, but he just lacked the talent for combat in the end, and anyone capable of working around his family's incredibly well-known flames and regeneration would be able to beat him fairly easily.

“May I stroke her?” Ravel asked, her tone slightly awestruck as Kuro made eye contact with his bird, a silent conversation passing.

“If she nips it means she wants you to stop, and if you don't she'll... and I quote, show you what a real Phoenix's flames can do.” Kuro drawled as Nyx hopped onto the table, moving in front of Ravel.

As Ravel started to stroke her, she failed to notice Nyx quickly sticking her beak into her drink, lapping some up.

“Huh, can Phoenix's get drunk?” Kuro mumbled before shrugging, a curious look on his face. “That's probably not a good idea... but I kinda wanna see where it is going.”

“So, Ravel... no marriage in the works for you?” Kuro asked as he watched her fuss over the bird, making her cheeks go red at his amused tone.

“I... no, My Lord, I'm just staying in my brothers peerage until my parents think I'm mature enough to have one of my own...” Ravel stuttered slightly, still gently petting Nyx.

“Just Kuro is fine... I was just curious, mostly because if you keep spoiling Nyx like that I might have to take you myself.” Kuro teased, making Riser chuckle into his drink as he watched his sister turn bright red.

As an older brother, watching his sister get embarrassed was a personal hobby, and it was a rare privilege to watch Ravel actually get caught off guard, she was far too serious after all.

“Hmm, you're welcome to her... she's the responsible and mothering type so she'd make a great wife.” Riser added in, far too amused by the betrayed look on her face. “Plus, I can think of a few women I wouldn't mind being my Bishop when I can ditch the tag-along.”

He wasn't lying either, his dream Peerage was a harem of beautiful and obedient women, and while his sister was beautiful their parents would literally kill him if he touched her like that, so he was missing a potential harem girl by having his sister in his Peerage. He was half convinced his mother made him take her so she could keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't cause too much trouble, because Ravel was far more mature than him.

He could admit that, but he also saw no reason to change that.

“I... Umm... well, I'm far too busy looking after my reckless big brother to marry, Riser can barely function without me here to babysit him.” Ravel shot back as he smirked at her.

“Cute, but do remember that I'm your King, and I can and will discipline you if I have to.” Riser pointed out, watching her pause. He might not be allowed to treat her exactly like he did the rest of his Peerage, but she was still his Bishop and if he needed to spank her for disrespecting him, he would.

...not that she wouldn't enjoy being spanked, she was a bit too like him in that regard. Phenex's fighting style tended result in them taking a lot of damage, so it was no real surprise that they grew to enjoy the pain... and Devils had a strange quirk where fetishes tended to pass down to their children. If a devil had a fetish, one of their parents tended to share that fetish.

...when your parents were second cousins, it meant you probably shared it with both of them, but frankly he didn't need to know about his parents sex life.

The fact that his father's peerage was full of sexy sadistic women in black leather probably didn't mean anything, and for his sanity that was the story he was sticking to. Had he seen the sex dungeon in the Phenex manor? No, no he had not and he had no idea what you were talking about, his parents only had sex in the missionary position for the sake of recreation, with the lights off.

Yubelluna was the sadist in his peerage, he had a strange mixture of enjoying pain but also enjoying being in charge, and it was hard to find a submissive dominatrix. Most of his Peerage were subs, but really he only needed a single dom.

But even if Ravel might enjoy getting spanked, she'd hate the humiliation of having it done in public, and she knew he was serious... he had his pride after all.

“That's what I thought, go back to fussing the bir-” Riser said before pausing as Nyx turned to him, breaking out into a cold sweat at the glare in her eyes. “The beautiful phoenix?” he squeaked without really meaning to.

Nodding sternly, Nyx went back to drinking Ravel's drink.

...he was an impressively powerful Devil, so why did the look in her eyes make him want to hide behind Yubelluna?

“Heh, guess Nyx is an angry drunk...” Kuro laughed as he sipped his own drink.

As Nyx glared over at her master, Kuro just smirked back at her, unbothered by the fiery stare as he downed the rest of his drink.

**\- Kuro – Later -**

“I have to admit, I'm surprised you are still so sober with how many you have been downing.” Riser admitted as I sip at my wine.

“I'm a heavyweight, what can I say?” I say in amusement as I sit in the extravagant living room. As it turns out me and Riser have a fair bit in common, with our lust and hatred of responsibilities and we hit it off fairly well.

Well enough that we ditched to club and went back to hang out at the Phenex manor, ever since I've arrived here I've felt the... aftermath of some Dantalion wards, but they are long since dormant and broken.

Grayfia and Venelana have slipped away to speak with Lady Phenex, which works for me, and Ravel had to be carried out of the club by Yubelluna because she's a lightweight.

I think me and Riser embarrassed her too much, because she started downing glasses to avoid my flirting and Riser's teasing... it just made Riser tease her more.

She's cute, and I mainly flirted with her a bit to see how Riser would respond, but he saw an opportunity to embarrass his sister and he took it, I can respect that.

“Unlike some...” Riser chuckles, his own glass almost empty.

I have no idea what time it is, but we were at the club for hours, so I can only assume it is very late...

“Heh, Ravel is a cute drunk... at least until she puked on Yubelluna's shoes and passed out.” I agree making Riser laugh, checking his phone to make sure the pictures are safe.

“She'll be furious in the morning, but she knows she can't handle that much wine and she knows it. It isn't my fault she forgot her limits.” Riser says with a shrug.

  
“You say that but you almost had a panic attack when she passed out, you really care about her, don't you?” I ask making him smile slightly with a shrug.

“She's my baby sister, of course I love her... even if I wasn't kidding about getting her out of my Peerage. Either she is here to babysit me or I'm supposed to babysit her and either way it is more trouble than it is worth. My Peerage are my Harem, and you can imagine the problem with having your baby sister hang around with your sex toys.” Riser pointed out with a helpless shrug. “I think mother had her join my Peerage to try and keep me in line, it is hard to get carried away with Ravel following me around.”

“Yeah, that'd suck... the advantage of being the last of my family is that I can do whatever I want and no-one can really do anything about it.” I agree easily, catching the slight worried look at my casual reference to my parents deaths.

“Ugh, this is to serious for tonight, I have had way too much to drink to think about these things... so lets move on, what's with the rumours of you having some weird snake ladies serving you? I doubt they are actual Lamias.”

“Oh, my Nagas? Yeah, I can use a kind of magic called Fleshcrafting so I took some human women and some snakes and just kinda... stuck them together? They make good servants, and they are incredibly obedient.” I admit, it's not like I can keep the fact that I have them a secret and if I recall correctly...

Lamia was the daughter of Poseidon, and while there are Lamias as a race they seem to all be descendants of the original Lamia and I don't want Poseidon thinking I've kidnapped his grand-kids or something like that.

If they ask how I make them? Family magic fuckers, keep your noses out.

“Huh... can you fuck them?” Riser asks, a curious frown on his face.

“...do you mean, will they let me fuck them or do you mean is it possible to fuck them? Because the answer is yes to both, they do whatever I order them to, and they have all the parts required, it'd probably be a bit awkward though.” I admit, thinking about the logistics.

“You should consider monetising that this, like we did our tears... I know a lot of guys, and a fair amount of girls, who would pay a lot for an exotic slave girl... not sure how legal it would be but with you being Leviathans golden boy you can probably get a permit.” Riser pointed out. “I mean, you've spent the night groping the fucking Satan Lucifer's mother and wife without fear, so I'm sure you could get him to help get the permit as well.”

Huh, sell my Fleshcrafting Creations?  
  
It's not like they are expensive for me to make, and aside from a couple I have no real attachment to them. I like the ones I name, but the others are just fodder for my forces.

“So what, make a store and spend my days playing shop keeper?” I ask with a chuckle, even as I consider the idea. The Dantalion family are rich, but centuries of isolation have stopped us from really increasing our funds even if we were barely spending anything.

A good source of income could be useful.

“What? No, why would you do that? You have a unique skill set, so just spread the word and wait for people to come to you, that way you can just take commissions and work when you want to, it's how we do business, you can't buy Phenex tears from anywhere but us directly, keeps them nice and expensive. I know a lot of guys with some weird ass tastes that would pay a fortune to have a girl made for them to match those tastes, and more who would want a snake lady just because they are exotic.” Riser says making me pause, the dude is speaking sense.

“Something to consider, I suppose. Time is an eternal problem for me, so I'd need to wait until things calm down anyway.”

“That's fair, gotta say... I'm kinda curious myself, the fuck does a snake pussy feel like? Don't suppose you wanna make me one? I'd be happy to trade one of my Peerage and some Phenex Tears for it, if only so I can flex on the other devils who only have normal peerage members.” Riser offered making me raise an eyebrow.

“You'd trade a member of your Peerage away?”

“Of course, my Peerage is my harem but I get bored easily, and aside from Yubelluna and Ravel the rest are just servants, I got Ni and Li by trading my last two pawns away since I wanted some catgirls, it isn't unusually for pieces to get traded around, and honestly I've been wanting to trade someone for a Redhead for a while. Only weirdos like the Gremory's treat their peerage like family, and trades aren't even uncommon among the top rating game players.”

“A redhead? For reasons completely unrelated to your fiancée, I'm sure.” I deadpan making him shrug.

“I traded for Ni and Li after Koneko called me 'Ecchi Burnt Turkey' and Rias wouldn't punish her.” Riser admits making me chuckle. “There is illusion magic, but it feels unpleasant to fuck someone under an illusion spell, and they tend to break, so yeah... a redhead. Trust me, if you had to put up with that spoiled bitch, you'd want to hatefuck her too.”

“Fair, so... not happy with the marriage, then?”

“Tch, not even remotely. Rias isn't the only one that doesn't want this, not that the self-centred bitch will ever see it that way.” Riser grumbles, the booze clearly starting to get to him. “But I'm just a third son, and if my family want me to marry some stuck up bitch for the good of the house then what can I do but agree? Rias is an Heiress, she is in a secure enough position for her little rebellions... but me? I'm not even the spare, and I'm the least talented of four, Ravel might be younger than me but she is a prodigy and an ambitious one at that. Ruval will probably be an Ultimate Class Devil sooner rather than later and Ravul basically runs the Phenex Tear trade at this point.” Riser points out. “Then there is me, lazy, unambitious and far weaker and less talented than my brothers, do I sound like I'm in a position to refuse my fathers order to marry Rias?”

“Damn, that's gotta suck.”

**+5 Reputation with Riser for letting him rant [30/100**

“...I'm too sober, wanna see a trick?” Riser asks as he pulls out a small bottle of clear liquid. “Fun fact, Phenex Tears have a weird effect with alcohol that makes it more potent, much more potent... Ravul could tell you how it works but I just know it gives it one hell of a kick.” Riser says as he pours us both a new glass.

“Huh, the most expensive upper in the world... I wonder what actual Phoenix tears would do?” I ask making him pause as he goes to pour them in.

...staring at each other, we glance at the also drunk Nyx napping on the table for a moment.

**Master, if you are actually attempting to get drunk, do you want me to stop suppressing the effect alcohol has on your body?**

...You only live twice, right? Why the hell not.

**\- Grayfia -**

Peeking through the door-frame, she paused as she watched Kuro gently shaking his familiar over a wine bottle, Riser watching with a intense stare.

...whatever they were doing, they were clearly busy and she would take the opportunity to go and hide until Kuro remembered she existed, she'd had her fill of being gawked at and groped for tonight anyway.

At least they seemed to be on good terms?

Probably?

**\- Kuro – Next Day -**

As I slowly open my eyes, the sunlight through the window sends a wave of pain through my body, and my headache quickly tells me that using Phoenix tears as an upper was probably a mistake.

Closing my eyes again until the pain fades, I pause as I feel a naked body pressing against my own, someone is laying on top of me... and I'm still inside them from the feel of something tight wrapping around my cock.

Huh, that's not Venelana since her breasts, while big, are too small to be hers, but I doubt Grayfia jumped into bed with me either...

...how exactly did I fuck last night?

I don't actually remember what I did last night, at least after the third glass of Phoenix Wine, but I think me and Riser left to get... something?

Oh dear...

Cracking my eyes open slightly, I peer down at the woman sleeping on my chest, and it is a women given the shapely body pressing against mine, spotting the long blonde hair as she snores slightly.

My movements apparently were enough to wake her as she stirs, looking up at me with familiar blue eyes, the same eyes I saw staring across the table at me last night at the bar...

But this isn't Ravel, she's too old... but she looks very, very familiar.

On a scale of one to ten, how much does me getting drunk and fucking Riser's mother interfere with Venelana's plans?

“Good Morning.” Lady Phenex says as she fidgets slightly... shit what was her name again? R-Rayna? She and Venelana ended up joining us at some point, but I don't see Venelana at all.

I think this might be the Phenex master bedroom.

“Good morning, Lady Phenex.” I say, my arms wrapped around her and my hands resting on her bare buttocks, giving them a light squeeze as she moans slightly. “Forgive me for asking but... what the fuck happened last night?”

As I ask that, her eyes widen slightly as she sits up, my cock still inside her as she looks down at me, her tits on full display as she smiles slightly.

“Ahh, I did wonder just how much you and my son had already had... and please, call me Rayna... it is a bit late for manners at this point.” Rayna deadpans as she looks down at where we are joined, squeezing her cunt around my cock slightly. “As for what happened... I made the mistake of deciding to try a glass of wine with Phoenix tears added, and it appears they have an unusual effect on Phenex's...” Rayna trails off, making me pause.

I... think I remember offering her a glass? She was shocked that we wasted actual Phoenix tears on booze but Nyx had already flamed home at that point.

“Oh? I remember them getting me drunk, fast... but I can't remember what-”

“They are an aphrodisiac, at least for Phenex's... you got me almost black out drunk in one glass, and hornier than I have been in a long time, I suppose I am fortunate that Riser had ran off with his new toy by that point considering I jumped the closest man and practically dragged you to my bedroom.” Rayna continued, her tone cool and polite even as she sits on my dick. “I take it I don't have to explain what happened afterwards, correct?”

...Riser's new toy? I don't remember that part, Riser just kinda disappeared.

“I see, and no, you don't.” I agree making her nod as she pulls herself off me, a wanton moan leaving her as my dick slides free.

“I do believe I need to apologise, it appears I quite literally burnt your clothes off in my lust.” Rayna says giving me a slight bow, her breasts bouncing as she does. “I am sure we have something in your size, if you'll just wait a moment.” she says climbing off the bed and grabbing a deep red silky dressing gown.

Judging by the cum stains around her inner thigh, I definitely cream-pied her last night, but her body is quickly covered by the revealing gown and she leaves me alone.

With no real idea what to do, I stay in the bed and wait for her to return.

...did Venelana's master plan involve me banging Rayna? Somehow I doubt it.

She returns quickly enough, carrying a red pair of suit trousers and a white shirt.

  
“You are approximately the same size as Riser, you'll have to go commando though as I doubt you'll want to wear Riser's underwear.” Rayna says as she places them on the bed, shrugging her gown back off as she moves over and looks for proper clothes.

“So... about last night.” I start as I pull the trousers on, making Rayna hum as she bends over to look into the one of the lower drawers, her bubble-butt sticking out towards me... does she have cum leaking out of her ass?

“If you are worried I will be angry or there will be consequences, you need not fret... I underestimated the effect the drink would have on me, and my curiosity got the better of me. Our fling is on me, and my husband will understand... honestly, the fact that we have found a real Phoenix will likely overshadow my infidelities, but we can discuss that when I don't have semen leaking out of me.” Rayna says simply, still looking through the drawers as I pause, Riser's shirt half buttoned up.

She's been searching that drawer for a while now, and her ass keeps shaking at me.

Standing up, I move behind her and narrow my eyes as she fails to respond, still humming to herself as she looks over the same dress for the third time.

“Is that so? So, I have a get out of trouble free card, do I?” I ask as I spank her ass, watching her cheeks jiggle as she lets out a quiet moan.

“...one could say that.” Rayna agrees as she finally turns around, a blush on her face as she looks away, her nipples hard. “I assure you, there will be no repercussions for anything you have done to me...”

“If you wanted a second round, you could have just asked.” I say with a smirk, I've already fucked her so I might as well enjoy it since any damage is already done.

“Lord Dantalion... I have said no such thing.” Rayna says sternly, glaring at me lightly even as her pussy drools. “I merely said there would be no consequences for your actions.”

“Would be, as if I decide to bend you over there won't be and problems?” I ask, making her shudder slightly as I reach forwards and grab her breast roughly, squeezing it with a smirk as she moans. “Tell me, are you still under the effects or are you just a horny slut naturally?”

Remaining quiet, Rayna does nothing to stop the molestation, and I remember something from last night...

Grabbing Rayna's throat, I squeeze slightly as her eyes widen, lust clear in her gaze as I push her against the wall, hard.

“I asked you a question, Rayna. Two, actually... so tell me, if I decide I want to fuck the esteemed Lady Phenex again, sober this time... and don't want to take no for an answer, what will happen?” I ask grabbing one of her legs and lifting it up onto my shoulder as I undo the trousers I just put on.

Still remaining silent, I press my still hard cock against her slit, rubbing it against her and chuckling as she moans.

“Answer the question, or would you rather I let you go and walk away?” I ask, pushing the tip back inside her.

“I... nothing would happen, no matter what you did to me.” Rayna says quietly, her lower lips soaked as I chuckle darkly.

“I thought so.” I say, pulling back and smirking at the disappointed look on her face. “But I have Grayfia, Venelana and many others if I want a fuck, so tell me Rayna... are you going to admit you want this or not?”

“I... enjoyed our night together, and wouldn't be opposed to a repeat performance.” Rayna said weakly making me smirk grabbing her arm and pulling her across the room, tossing her back onto the bed with a harsh yank.

“Try again.” I order, making her shudder. “Entice me, or I'm leaving.”

I was rough with her last night, and she got off on it... it's not just pain that gets her off, it's humiliation.

“P-please, Lord Dantalion, help yourself to this married slut.” Rayna said, spreading her legs.

“Turn around, face down ass up. I suppose I can spend a bit of my time giving you the fucking you clearly need.” I scoff as she obeys, she's a natural sub... interesting.

Climbing onto the bed, I line myself up and thrust forwards, sheathing myself in her as she lets out a shriek into the bedsheets.

Did I aim a little higher than she was expecting? Yes I did, and as I start to pound into her, I chuckle as her shrieks immediately turn to moans, her ass tightening down on my cock.

Heh, I've always got time to kill for women this slutty.

**\- Venelana -**

“I see you have enjoyed yourself.” Venelana said calmly, watching Kuro saunter out of the room smelling off sex, spotting Rayna passed on her bed behind him, cum leaking out of a freshly fucked ass.

“Where did you disappear off to last night?” he asked making her chuckle as she lead him to one of the more private rooms in the Phenex mansion.

  
“I was getting information, and you left me in the living room when you went off with Rayna, so I decided to call it a night myself, since you didn't ask me to join you~” Venelana teased, Grayfia had practically fled back to Kuoh to avoid the drunken games, it made sense since she knew how Grayfia got when she was drunk.

Some people were angry drunks, some were sad drunks... but Grayfia? Grayfia was a special kind of drunk, one who simply lost her inhibitions. It was why she spent all last night ignoring her drink and hoping Kuro wouldn't order her to drink up.

She still remembered when they discovered that particular, with Zeoticus pushing Grayfia to relax for once and Grayfia reluctantly agreeing, she got so drunk she decided to fuck Sirzechs brains out... on the dinner table in front of her and Zeoticus.

Sirzechs displayed his inability to say no to his wife as she practically threw him onto the table and rode him in front of his parents, their embarrassment when she sobered up made her giggle to this day.

Zeoticus certainly hadn't minded the show, and she had seen far worse.

“Considering I don't even remember that, I'm actually glad I didn't... when I fuck you, I want to be sober enough to fully enjoy it... and what information did you gather?” Kuro asked making her smile.

'When' not 'If'.

She did like confidence in a man.

“The reason why the Phenex's are so determined to find Phoenix tears...” Venelana said, pausing to build suspense. “And the reason is right below us, in a coma as she has been for centuries... the Original Phenex herself, their tears are keeping her alive from whatever it is that is killing her, as her own powers aren't working, but they believe that the real thing could heal and wake her up... something far more important than any mere marriage.”

Watching Kuro's eyes widen slightly, she smiled to herself, despite her worry. The Original Devils were a different breed entirely, and they were all dead and gone... or so she thought, she wondered if the Satans knew about the Devil still breathing beneath them.

“I see, and I haven't messed with your plans by fucking Rayna?”

“Of course not, everything is proceeding as planned... as long as you are still up for the next step.” Venelana assured him making Kuro nod.

“We still haven't discussed what you can do to make this worth my while.”

“And we will, but not in the middle of another family's house... and I need to find a way to lure Grayfia away from your side so she can't report back to Sirzechs, I assure you I can make it more than worth your while.” Venelana promised quickly, well aware that Kuro wasn't interested in her family's drama.

“Fine, and what is the next step exactly?”

“The next step is simple, we take advantage of Rias's flaws... Rias has always been prideful and competitive, even with her laziness, and we are going to exploit that to make her desperate to get you. Remember, she is going to attempt to seduce you for Sirzechs plans, and all you have to do is seem disinterested. Play hard to get, essentially...” Venelana explained, making Kuro nod.

“Seems easy enough.”

“That's the easy part, what you need to do is after you stonewall Rias... I want you to start showing interest in Sona Sitri, start seducing her if you want to or just flirt with her in places where Rias will notice or hear about it. Sona is a very smart girl, and you need to seem genuinely interested in her over Rias for this to work.”

“...has anyone ever told you that you're a cruel woman?”

“A great many people, yes. Anyway, Sona is self-conscious over her breast size, and feels inferior to her sister, feel free to use that. Sona is both Rias's best friend... and her biggest rival, and while Rias has more power and a more... devilish body, Sona is undeniably smarter and more responsible, and that makes Rias self-conscious even if she doesn't try to fix it. Rias is confident in her beauty, and seeing someone who turned her down or seems disinterested in her go after her rival instead will hit her right in the pride, but I know my daughter and her reaction is predictable. She'll simply become more and more desperate to get you, both for Sirzechs plan and to prove that she is as beautiful as she believes she is, and when Rias gets obsessed with something she throws herself fully into it, I'll keep an eye on things and be ready to start the next phase when Rias is good and hooked.” Venelana explained calmly, getting a nod of respect from Kuro. “In the meantime, maintain your friendship with Riser, I do believe you both swapped contact details last night?”

“You think it'll be that easy? Rias has every guy in school worshipping the ground she walks on from what I've heard.” Kuro pointed out, making her nod.

“True, and that is why your disinterest will effect her so much, besides... I believe she has made some... poor decisions that have put her self-worth lower than ever, I'm still looking into that though.”

“...are you going to tell me what those poor decisions might be? I need as much information as possibly after all...” Kuro trailed off, making her pause.

He was right... but she didn't really want to talk about this.

That said, she also knew she needed to trust Kuro, she was in too deep now to back out.

“Sirzechs has never interfered before, no matter how much she has begged and pleaded for him to break the engagement. Before Sirzechs started to act, she visited him again and they've both been acting strange ever since... and while I don't want to believe it, I think Rias has likely prostituted herself out to Sirzechs to convince him to assist her, as Sirzechs lusting after her is a very poorly kept secret. I don't know how far they went, but being pushed this far has likely destroyed Rias's self-confidence and that is something we can use.” Venelana admitted, watching Kuro's eyes narrow. Cruel, yes... but it was for Rias's best interests.

“You didn't think to warn me that Sirzechs wants the girl you are having me seduce?” Kuro asked making her chuckle.

“Sirzechs plan involves you and Rias fucking, and you spent last night groping his wife. It's a little late for that, isn't it?” Venelana asked, her eyebrow raising slightly as he paused.

“...fair.”

“Go speak to Riser, don't leave without saying goodbye, and then head home... we have work to do.”

**\- Kuro -**

Devil's are fucked up, but since I'm one of them I suppose I can't complain.

Heading to where Vene said Riser was, I pause as I enter the room, realising what Rayna meant by new toy as I stare at Riser in amusement, his naked body hidden by the long red serpentine tail wrapping around him.

Ahh, that's what we went out to find... a human and a snake.

**[Alter Appearance]**

**A spell that warps the flesh of the target, allowing the caster to morph them to whatever appearance they desire, even allowing the target to swap gender.**

The naga currently wrapped around Riser shares a certain... similarity to Rias, both in breast size and appearance, but there were some clear differences... long crimson red hair going down to her backside and a pair of tits that almost matched Venelana's which Riser was currently sucking on as she stroked his cock.

Her facial structure almost matched Rias's... however her eyes were a deep red instead of Rias's ocean blue, and she has scales along her arms and some on her cheeks.

“I see you're busy, just came to say I am heading home... have fun?” I say making Riser pull his mouth of the lactating breast. How the fuck did I give them the power to lactate?

“Got it, I'll send your payment to your estate later on. Later, dude.” Riser says, immediately going back to what he was doing as I back out.

Yeah, I'll leave him to it... and I don't want to admit I have no idea what we agreed for payment.

I'm going home.

**\- Bonus Scene – Rin Tohsaka -**

Watching the spell fizzle out, she sighed.

Experimentation was a large part of any mages life and every attempt at creating a spell could take weeks of failed tests, that was to be expected... but she had a rather unique problem.

Her particular branch of magic, Jewelcraft, was an expensive one... and a failed test meant losing the jewel she had used for the cast, and as this was the third failed test in today the costs rose rapidly.

...the hospital bills for her mothers eternal comatose state didn't help, and the general lack of resources slowed her experimentation a lot, and it was limiting her skills as a mage.

The worse part of course was the easy way out she had in front of her, as while she had chosen Kuoh for her workshop due to the amazing amount of mana in the air around it... it was devil territory. It made sense, Kuoh was practically drowning in ambient magic and there was no way the various factions would ignore it.

If it wasn't the Devils, it would be the Fallen, Heaven or the Youkai who ruled it, there was no way an independent Mage could hope to keep a hold of it.

Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri ruled this town, and that meant she had to deal with them to keep her Workshop here, which wasn't as difficult as it might have seemed. Rias was a pushover, and while she'd tried to get her to join her Peerage, a firm no had sent Rias running.

Sona however was a genius, and while she'd accepted her refusal to join her Peerage and the student council, she had negotiated for Rin's assistance with several situations, she'd also made it clear that the Sitri family were amazingly wealthy and could easily pay her experiments and acquire some Phenex tears to heal her mother.

If it wasn't for the fact that Sona already had two bishops she'd probably be far more aggressive in her recruitment, and frankly she'd probably have already talked Rin into giving up her freedom by now because the Sitri heiress scared her.

But now she had two new problems, aside from the lurking Sitri and her looming bankruptcy.

One, a new King had moved to Kuoh and she had no idea what this Kuro Dantalion was like... she knew a fair amount about the Dantalion family out of curiosity when she heard that their family magic also required gemstones, but rumours didn't help her know how to act around this new King.

...if he took offence to an independent mage living in his territory, uncomfortable close to his estate at that, she was in trouble.

The Matou family had a different deal with the Devils, Zouken Matou himself had made a deal with them before the two Heiresses even arrived, so they were secure, she however had no such deal in place.

She had a shaky 'I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone' with the Gremory Heiress and an agreement to work together on occasion with the Sitri Heiress while she slowly pushed Rin into a corner so she'd have to join her Peerage.

She had nothing protecting her from the Dantalion Heir, and if he took offence to a mage having a workshop quite literally two streets away from his massive estate, she was going to have a real problem. She could see the walls of his estate from her bedroom window, a constant reminder of her current troubles.

She'd practically cowered in her workshop while the Satan Leviathan herself had been overseeing the renovating of the estate, then she'd fled the town altogether when Sirzechs and Grayfia showed up, which told her that Dantalion had connections that she didn't want to piss off.

So, she needed to meet with him and very carefully see what it was going to take to get him to leave her alone, at the very least.

Then, she had her second much larger problem...

WHY THE FUCK WAS LUVIA MOVING TO KUOH?!

That smug spoiled rich bitch just couldn't leave well enough alone, it wasn't enough to drive her out of Europe in the first place she had to follow her here just to make her life more difficult?

If she had the choice between having Sirzechs and Serafall move into the apartment next door, or Luviageltia Fucking Edelfelt moving to Kuoh, she'd help Lucifer pick out some nice curtains to go with his new apartment.

...the bitch was even having a massive European style mansion built on the outskirts of the town just to flex her wealth.

She didn't believe Luvia was just coming her to spite her, but it was definitely at least a part of her reason, and it was pissing her off.

Sighing, she checked her supplies and grabbed another gem and checked her formula.

She had time before the mansion was finished, and she needed to arrange for a meeting between her and Lord Dantalion but for now, she had more work to do.

**Authors Note: Will I write Kuro's night with Rayna? Possibly.**

**So, people have told me that Freya isn't Odin's wife and it is Frigg instead. I have made the executive decision that God of War is right and they are the same person, on account of me not caring enough.**

**I also know Zekram Bael is the Original Bael but I'm making him the OG Bael's son for reasons.**

**Back to Sorcerer next, I think. This might be the last update of 2020 since my shifts are mad next week and frankly I've been playing Cyberpunk on my days off. What, I need to relax as well.**


	11. At Least There Isn't A Hangover

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9**

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**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 11: At least there isn't a hangover**

I have very little idea what I did last night, but getting a message from Serafall telling me that she has streamlined the process and put my business paperwork through herself was a bit of a surprise.

I apparently sent her paperwork while so drunk I couldn't even remember banging Rayna, and it went through?

Me and Riser apparently had fun last night.

So much fun that we decided to taunt certain people, which explains my current situation.

“I'd say I can explain, but honestly I was too drunk and I don't actually remember making... Better Rias.” I admit, ignoring the quiet snort of laughter from Sona as Rias glares at me, sat opposite me in my living room.

Riser sent her pictures and a video of him banging Better Rias, and for some reason decided to tell her that I had made her for him.

Hence the rather annoyed Gremory Heiress pounding on my door first thing this morning.

“Really, Rias, calm down.” Sona says easily as she sips her tea, an amused smile on her lips as she speaks.

“Would you be calm if he'd made a sex toy version of you?!” Rias growls back at her making Sona smirk slightly.

“Naturally, it wouldn't be me after all and besides, 'Better Rias' only resembles you, it isn't like anyone would mistake her for you due to her... extremities.” Sona reasons making Rias sigh.

“It doesn't change the fact that fucking Riser Phenex of all people has a sex slave sharing my face.” Rias scowls, giving me a dirty look as I sip at my drink.

“I'm not apologising.” I say easily making her sigh, she needs me and she doesn't think I know that, so she can't be too harsh. Besides, she hasn't come here over Better Rias, she's come here to try and work out why I'm suddenly friends with Riser, her _arch-enemy._

“I expect you'll be dealing with this often, in truth.” Sona said simply as she stared at me. “My sister isn't very good at keeping secrets and she called me to tell me about your business venture this morning, at 4am to be specific for reasons that likely make sense only to her.” Sona said with a wry smile. “I suspect you'll have many people who want you to make them a _toy_ that resembles various people, Grayfia and my sister for example.” Sona explains, Grayfia's eyes narrowing behind them before she relaxes.

“Probably, but somehow I doubt there are any laws against it.” I counter making her shrug.

“You can't copy-write a face, evidentially. There was a similar issue with a brothel using illusion spells to make their men and women resemble famous individuals but it was ruled in the brothels favour.” Sona explains making me raise an eyebrow. I don't remember hearing about that. “I am not surprised that this is a surprise to you, the business failed due to the illusion spells being rather imperfect, they dulled the sensations for the client, leaving the escorts unpleasant to touch and failed far too regularly.”

“How do you even know that?” Rias asked making Sona smirk.

“When Serafall called me, I decided to do some research, that's all.” Sona explained smugly, and rightfully so given how long ago that was. She works fast. “I may commission your services myself, depending on what you are capable of making.”

“Ara ara~ I wonder who you want your toy to look like.” Akeno adds helpfully making Sona sigh.

“I have no interest in sex toys, but my Peerage lacks someone capable of taking damage and I would be interested in purchasing a custom-built Peerage member to do so, if or when you are capable of crafting such a being.” Sona explains giving Akeno a dirty look as she giggles to herself.

“I'm still working on making more powerful creations, my Fleshcrafting is still rather amateurish compared to what I'll be able to do in the future after all, but I'm sure we can come to an agreement.” I say making her nod slightly with a slight smile. “Changing the appearance of a creation is so much easier than granting powers, but I'm getting there.”

“You can just... change the features of your creations at will?” Sona asks, a strange tilt to her voice as she looks at me, Akeno already giggling again.

“I can change the appearance of basically anyone, really appearance is childs play since the body already has everything it needs to change it just doesn't know how to, hair colour and length, skin colour, facial features, body shape, they all change so easily...” I say, I've played around with it with some of my nagas and prisoners, it really does come so easily.

More importantly, my magic never goes near their soul or mind which means I can do it without worry that I'll erase their mind in the process, which is nice. I'm slowly getting better at avoiding mental changes while making physical ones.

“Could you.. give an unfortunate girl cursed with flatness what she has always longed for?” Akeno asks making Sona glare at her, angrily enough to still the taunting seductress as she realises that she crossed a line she probably shouldn't have.

“Easily, breasts are mostly just fat and growing them is incredibly easy.” I answer, making them turn back to me. “Though I certainly don't see anyone here who could be classed as 'flat', in fact I'd say everyone here has the perfect sized breasts for their body type, and I wouldn't want to mess with perfection.” I continue, watching Sona blush lightly as she coughs into her hand, my eyes briefly lowering to her shirt-clad chest.

**+5 Affection with Sona for complimenting her [10/100]**

“ _Moving on._ ” Sona says loudly, making me chuckle at her cutely blushing face. I wasn't lying, Sona would look silly with massive breasts since she has such a lithe figure and I don't really want to rebuild her entire body structure just to make her tits bigger. “I didn't actually come here today to talk about your business venture, as interesting as it may be, but to discuss what you offered before, about warding the city?”

“I remember, I take it you've cleared a room at the school we can use as a central hub?” I ask making her nod.

“I have, though I want you to check it over before hand, to ensure it matches your requirements. It is beneath the school, and the only other person who is down there is Rias's bishop, who doesn't leave his room and as such it is already under several spells to deter humans from going down there.” Sona says making me nod.

  
“I should have time today to go and check it over, if it is suitable I can probably do a lot of the surveillance wards today.” I say making her nod.

“Why the hell were you clubbing with Riser?” Rias asked almost immediately, cutting in making me sigh.

“I wasn't clubbing _with_ Riser, I was clubbing with Venelana and met Riser while I was already there, turns out we have some similarities and we made fast friends, but I don't see how my friendships are your business.” I say calmly, making her eyes widen as she goes to reply, before she cuts herself off and simply gets up and storms off without another word, Akeno bowing to me before she follows behind, a look of concern on her face.

“I apologise for Rias, she has been having an incredibly stressful time lately.” Sona says after a moment, making me smile.

“It's fine, I know a fair amount of what is happening from Riser himself. She has no idea that he likes the idea of marrying her about as much as she does, does she?” I ask making Sona sigh.

“Of course not, Rias needs an enemy she can blame for all her troubles, and Riser was the easiest target.” Sona says with a deep sigh. “But regardless, I thank you for your patience with her.”

“Eh, her marriage isn't my business. I have my own things to worry about, but hey, I'll probably get an invite to the wedding.” I say easily making her roll her eyes. “Is there anything else I can do for you, or are you just enjoying the view?” I ask teasingly making her roll her eyes again, the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“Just one thing... is it really so easy to change physical appearance?” Sona asks after a moment of silence, making my eyebrow rise.

“It is, and I also meant it when I said it'd be a shame to ruin perfection by sticking a few pounds of fat onto it.” I reply making her roll her eyes.

“And even if I had you increase my breast size I'd have people talking behind my back about needing magical implants, which I certainly don't want.” Sona agrees with a frown. “No, what I was wondering was if you could make a more subtle change?” Sona asks making my eyebrow rise slightly.

  
“Well, that depends on what you had in mind?” I reply making her pause, glancing at Grayfia.

“I'd rather discuss this in private, if you don't mind.” Sona admits, making me nod easily.

“I see, in that case please, follow me. My currently unnamed business takes client confidentiality very seriously.” I say with a mock-serious tone as I stand, heading to one of my spare rooms.

I don't want to take her to the Fleshcrafting lab with its chains and prisoners for obvious reasons.

Entering the room, I quickly toss up a crappy privacy ward and close the door, sitting down on a chair and looking at her.

“So, how can Unnamed Business help you today?” I ask making her smile slightly as she gathers her thoughts.

“I take it you have met my sister in person, correct?” she asks as she paces slightly.

“I have, she's an... interesting figure.” I reply carefully making her scoff.

“I love her, but interesting is the most polite way I've ever heard her described. Do you know that when she was my age she was already renown as a beauty, with an hourglass figure that puts Rias to shame.” Sona says simply as she looks down at her more... human sized breasts making me do the same. “Exactly, you can generally tell how a devil will develop by the time they are teens, and I can expect to remain... slender all my life. Growing up with Serafall Leviathan as my idol caused no end of self-esteem issues, as irrational as they may be, but if I had you shape my body to match hers, I'd just get mocked for it.” Sona says with a scowl. “However, I would like to have at least one feature I can be proud off... and I believe there is an eternal debate over whether breasts are superior to backsides, and as such-” she trails off with a growing blush.

“...that was a lot of words just to say you want some junk in your trunk.” I point out, her blush growing and spreading down to her neck.

“I will not refute that, and despite the shortness of our school uniform, my backside changeing would be far less noticeable.” Sona says as she avoids eye-contact. “But if you are capable of shaping my body to fit my require- desire, I would be open to arranging an even trade.”

I could do some adjustments to her ass, wouldn't even be a challenge to give her a nicer ass.

“What exactly are you hoping for?” I ask making her pause in her pacing.

“...if you mention any of this to our peers, I will make your life incredibly uncomfortable. Do not underestimate how much paperwork I can force you to do, I know every minor law and loophole I can use to drown you in unpleasant work.” Sona threatens making my eyes widen.

That... is the most effective threat I've ever heard.

And judging from her smirk she is aware of how dangerous that particular method of intimidation is to me.

“As I said, client confidentiality is important to me.” I agree quickly as I fidget in place, watching her smirk grow even as her blush grows.

“I'm glad we could come to an understanding.” Sona says as she takes a breath and unzips her skirt, letting it fall.

Without being able to be tucked into her skirt, her shirt goes down to half cover her privates, but she undoes that quickly as well and lets it fall as she stands before me in just a pair plain white underwear.

“I stand by what I said earlier, I wouldn't want to mess up perfection.” I say easily as my eyes roam her pale body, lingering on her breasts and long legs as she blushes.

Sona possesses something that is rather rare, a reasonable sized chest in DxD, and while I like the massive tits that can be found here, I do like variety.

“Then it is a good job that my rear is flat and unappealing.” Sona says simply as she turns around, sticking said rear out towards me as I give it a good long stare.

I wouldn't call her flat, but I also wouldn't really call her curvy either. I can certainly see why she would have self-esteem issues compared to both her friend and her sister.

Her legs and thighs are rather skinny as well, but that's an easy fix and a necessary one if I am going to be making her ass a bit more curvy, otherwise it wouldn't fit with the rest of her body.

“Can you... fix this issue?” Sona asks making me pause as I look up from her.

“I can, which just leads us to the question of your payment.” I say making her nod.

“A favour for a favour, if you assist me I can help you out. I know the process to get a license for the ownership and trading of exotic magical creatures, something that should help you with your business. I realise my sister could get you the same thing... but while I love her, I would advise you to not to rely on her too much, for several reasons. She is a Satan, and as such is extremely busy but more importantly... putting yourself into the debt of a much more powerful devil is something you should avoid, as friendly as she might be.” Sona warns making me nod slightly.

Becoming over-reliant on Serafall is just going to trap me later on, and as nice as she might be, she didn't become a Satan by being nice.

“You think you can get that licence through? I've heard they are rather difficult to get accepted.” I ask making her smile smugly. I did look into them, even if my abominations seem to be a loophole since they aren't a pre-existing creatures and as such they aren't listed on the banned or restricted creatures list.

  
“Kuro, paperwork is my speciality. I won't even need to use my sisters influence to write circles around the fools in the capital who handle these things.” Sona says with fire in her eyes making me pause.

She... really likes paperwork. What a bizarre woman.

“Then we have a deal, how curvy are we talking here? There is only so much you can expect people to not notice, and even if you use magic to make the humans ignore it, it won't work on the magical beings.” I point out making her nod. “I can do it here and now, if you're ready.”  
  


“Nothing too ridiculous, and I've been away from the underworld for quite a long time. It is... stifling to be the little sister of a Satan, and freeing to just be Sona in the human world. Those who would notice the sudden change will know better than to mention it. Rias, our Peerages, my sister and parents. I might have to threaten Akeno a little bit, but she is all talk and knows when to back down.” Sona said simply, pulling out her phone from her skirt as it laid on the floor, typing quickly as she searched with an intense face, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Give me a moment, I will find a proper visual aid.”

She's taking this pretty seriously, but I get it. I like my appearance, but I can see why she doesn't even if I disagree.

Before long she has a picture up, and the fact that a half-naked Sona was looking up porn in my spare bedroom amuses me far too much. The picture she is holding up for me is a simple picture of a naked woman facing away from the camera, a similar figure to Sona's only with a more curvy backside.

“Easily doable.” I say, making her smile slightly.

I made Better Rias go from some random adult to a clone of Rias with a snake tail, filling out her ass is effortless in comparison.

“So, how does this work?” Sona asks, a burst of nervousness coming over her as she looks over herself.

“I can do it here, remove your panties and lie down on the bed please.” I ask making her pause before she sighs and hooks her fingers in her panties, pulling them down and stepping out of them as she gives me a challenging look, daring me to say anything.

Her pussy is cleanly shaven, a small pink slit which she quickly covers.

“A bit past the need for modesty, aren't we?” I ask as I stand, watching her lay down on her front.

I can still see her cute little pussy between her slightly spread legs, and as I take another look she gives me a slight scowl over her shoulder.

“Enjoying the view?” she asks with a glare as I smile.

“Who wouldn't?” I reply simply making her blush and look away, despite her tone she enjoys being lusted after and she fails to actually shut her legs as I move next to the bed with a smile.

“Just do your job, you can gawk later.” Sona mumbles making me chuckle as I place my hand on her ass, gently gripping the slightly bony flesh. “This is not how I imagined my first time naked for a boy would go.” Sona grumbles as I start to work, calling on my magic.

Like I said, this is a very easy task and I deliberately slow it down to a crawl, partially to make it seem like more effort than it is but mostly to stop it from hurting. Turns out the pain comes from the body warping so quickly and if I do it slowly then it is more of an uncomfortable stretching feeling than actual pain.

“Please stop fidgeting.” I say as Sona stills under my hand, do I need to actually be holding her ass for this? No. Does she need to know that? Also no.

“I can feel my buttocks growing, it is... unusual.” Sona says defensively, squeaking as I give her ass a light squeeze, the flesh in my hand far more enjoyable to play with now. “What part of the procedure is the molestation again?”

“The fun part, now stop fidgeting.”I say, resisting the urge to give her a light spank. I can get away with a lot in this situation, but I shouldn't push it.

Before long, the fun is over and I let go of the sexy bubble-butt I made, taking a moment to admire my work as she rises quickly, looking over her shoulder.

Taking her phone from where it laid, I move to the camera and she gets the hint, placing her hands on the bed and bending over slightly as I take a few snaps of her naked backside, tossing the phone over to her as she looks at the pictures with a growing smile, reaching back and feeling her own ass.

“Damn, I do good work.” I say to myself as she looks back at me, a large smile on her face. “I don't suppose I can convince you of the importance of frequent check-ups?” I ask, getting a roll of her eyes as she turns to face me, too happy with her new booty to be angry.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Kuro, and I will have your permit paperwork filed and in the system soon.” Sona promises as she holds out her hand to me, her nakedness forgotten as I take it, lifting it to kiss instead of shaking it. It gets another roll of her eyes, but she doesn't stop smiling at me as she does.

**+15 Affection with Sona for giving her the ass of her dreams [25/100]**

“No, you could not...” Sona says with amusement as she grabs her clothes and unfortunately dresses. “Random question, do you play chess?” Sona asks making me pause.

“I do, kinda amazing at it as well.” I admit modestly making her eyebrow rise.

“Then perhaps we should play one day, you can usually find me in the student council room of the school.” Sona says with a smile.

“I'll keep that in mind, I ran out of practice partners a while back.” I agree making her blush for some reason.

**\- Rias -**

It wasn't enough to have her father be against her, to have her brother be too cowardly to help her even after- even after enjoying her _payment._

No, not only did the man who might just be her last chance at escaping from Riser have to go and befriend the asshole himself, giving him a mocking imitation of her to use as he pleases... her own fucking mother was the one to arrange it.

She knew her mother, and Venelana was a schemer... it was no coincidence that Kuro happened to meet Riser while being led around by her mother, and that could only mean one thing.

Her mother already knew what she and Sirzechs were planning, and had decided to subtly sabotage her attempts to escape to keep her stuck with Riser.

Blinking away her tears, she headed back to the Occult Research Clubhouse with a shaky stride, betrayal stinging her.

Her father put her in this situation, her brother didn't care to help her until she had degraded herself for his entertainment and now her own mother and probably sister-in-law were making sure she wouldn't be able to use the only path she had left to escape.

To make things worse, Kuro was more interested in flirting with Sona of all people than talking to her, it wasn't that she didn't realise that Sona was an attractive young woman but the fact that Kuro had basically ignored her to talk to Sona instead hurt.

  
It was understandable, she hadn't had the best start with him and he was being remarkably mature to simply ignore her after her knight almost attacked him and she came storming into his house, too angry from watching a video of Riser fucking a face that look so much like her own to stop and think.

But she was running out of time, she needed Kuro on her side before her impending engagement and yet what did she have to help convince him to give her a second chance?  
  


Sex? She was far past the point of refusing to consider prostituting herself for aid but he had Grayfia and likely her own mother available, likely whispering into his ear to leave her to her fate as they spread their legs for him.

She couldn't seduce him without spending time with him, and Kuro's time was heavily sought after.

No matter how much she thought, she came up with no easy answers to her problem, and her fate seemed set in stone.

She would _not_ marry Riser, no matter what, she had already sworn to herself that she would avoid that fate no matter the cost, and if she didn't succeed in getting Kuro on board with Sirzechs plans she only had two paths she could see.

Either she took her own life, taking her fate back into her own hands in the most grim method she could think of, or she went back to Sirzechs and tried again.

He barely managed to convince himself not to... take her offer, she could see the lust and desire in his eyes as he tried to resist the urge to pounce on her and take everything she had offered him, and if she truly tried she could probably push past his hesitation.

  
He'd tasted the forbidden fruit, and she knew he wanted more even if he denied himself it out of either responsibility or brotherly love.

If she ran out of time, she'd go back to him and push harder next time, she'd have to hold in her disgust and hesitation because that was clearly what knocked him back to his senses last time.

She'd get him alone, strip for him and offer her everything if he helped her, it would be degrading and disgusting to go through but it would be better than a life as a sex toy for Riser Phenex's amusement. If he still refused she had one last card to play, offer herself to Sirzechs as a mistress.

It would be humiliating, a shame on their family, and she'd be under his control for the rest of her life, but it was better than ending up married to Riser. She'd have more freedom, and her Peerage would be safe. Her parents would be horrified, Grayfia would be furious and she'd spend the rest of her life spreading her legs for Sirzechs, but it was better than being Riser's toy.

If she would be a slave either way, she'd chose her own master instead of letting someone else do it for her.

She needed to get Kuro on her side, no matter the cost. Her future if she failed to get his aid wasn't a bright one.

Kuro would probably get to _enjoy_ her either way thanks to his new best friend, she'd heard stories of Riser lending his Peerage out to his friends and the idea of that fate befalling her, Akeno and Koneko horrified her.

Being put on display, offered as a plaything to strangers and her former peers alike, perhaps one day when she was already used goods her _beloved_ brother would borrow her for a night or two, showering Riser in whatever he wanted for some time with his precious Rias-tan.

Would she even be herself at that point, or just a broken doll spreading her legs on command?

“Rias, are you okay?” Akeno asked as she collapsed into her chair, wiping away a few stray tears, Koneko entering the room quietly as she stared at her in concern and confusion.

“I- I have a job, for both of you. I need information, as much as possible, about the newest King in Kuoh, Kuro Dantalion. We have a very short time limit, but I need you to find out everything you can about him.” Rias ordered quickly, straightening up as she steeled herself.

She wasn't doomed yet, and when she found a way out she'd make sure to let her parents and brother know exactly how she felt.

**\- Kuro -**

The hardest part of making a city-wide ward is finding the right place to hide the various ward-stones I need to extend the range that far, since I can tie the actual ward into my pre-existing set up in my manor.

Thankfully, Sona wasn't kidding when she said that they were the Kings of Kuoh and after I set up the surveillance system in the basement of the school, she helped layer the buried wardstones with spells to prevent people from investigating too much.

This has been a costly venture, a lot of wardstones were required to cover an entire city and I used the highest grade ones I could afford so I wouldn't have to replace them in the future to upgrade the wards.

“So, those must be the Fallen hiding away in the abandoned church.” Sona commented as we looked over the map of Kuoh, a spot with a few highlighted figures getting our attention.

“You'd know better than me... but why are there so many empowered humans? Heretical Exorcists?” I ask making Sona hum.

“I knew the Fallen brought some Exorcists with them, but in those numbers? They are up to something, I just don't know what. I'll look into it.” Sona said calmly as she looked over the map, thousands of dull gray markers moving around to indicate the regular humans. “That would be one of the mages, we have a few independent mages in Kuoh, several go to this very school.”

I have a feeling she's looking for empowered humans she can't explain... like for instance someone with a Sacred Gear.

I found three such people, and hide them all from this version of the map, I have the master copy in my home after all and even if we share this room, the wards respond to me.

I've marked them all, one is Issei, one is Saji and the other? I don't know.

“I've marked and labelled all my Peerage, and all of Rias's... I take it the giant blank spot where your home is was intentional?” Sona asks with a smirk making me nod. “I see, logical. I'd do the same, and my true home is in the Underworld anyway. I have to say your system is rather innovative. Is it your design or Izan's?”

“Izan died centuries before computers were a thing, I customised the ward display for my own convenience. The wards are his design, the display is mine.” I answer looking at the large map.

It resembles the map from a video game to be honest, but I like it like that.

“What on earth is that?” I ask looking at one label.

  
“From it's location, I imagine that would be Zouken Matou. Strange that he doesn't appear the same as the other human mages, but unsurprising. I would avoid dealing with him if you can. I wasn't aware that he had returned to town, and I'd rather not deal with him either.” Sona says with a slight sneer.

“Hmm, and that just leaves that one.” I mention pointing to a small light-green marker. “According to Izan, that's a Youkai. I wasn't aware we had any in Kuoh.”

Whoever it is, they are fairly weak since the darkness of the marker indicates the power of the person.

“Nor was I... Tsubaki, it appears we have a guest in our city. Do go and let them know that I'd like to meet those who visit my home.” Sona says darkly, staring at the marker as it moves through... a residential area, I believe.

  
Sona doesn't like not knowing what people are doing in her home, that much is clear. She's the kind of girl who is used to being in complete control, maybe even _needs_ to be in complete control so realising how many exorcists are chilling in her territory and that she has a mystery Youkai sneaking around has put her off center.

As she sits down, she pauses in place as she fidgets slightly, a slight blush on her face at my curious look.

“I... have slightly more padding than I am used to, it's rather comfortable but it will take some getting used to.” Sona admits quietly as we look at the last marker we haven't labelled. “Hm, we received a warning that a stray devil may have taken refuge in our territory, Viser I believe her name was. I'm fairly certain that is her.”

“A stray devil? Hmm, can I handle her?” I ask making Sona look at me curiously.

“It was Rias's turn, but if you want to deal with her so be it, it is one less job for me and I won't have to repeatedly remind Rias.” Sona agrees easily.

  
“Thanks, out of curiosity what is the standard procedure for Strays?” I ask after a moment.

“Strays have no rights in our society, Viser herself murdered her King and fled, a fairly unimportant devil from an equally unimportant family, as long as the threat she represents is dealt with, no one will care what her fate it.” Sona says easily, unconcerned of Viser's fate as I smile happily.

Did someone say Fleshcrafting materials?

  
“Wonderful, if that is everything, I'll leave you to it.” I say giving her a smile as she nods.

  
“I want to practice with the map a bit more, and train my Peerage to monitor it as well, it was a pleasure as always, Kuro.” Sona says easily as she gives me a small smile and turns back to the map.

Sona is going to be busy for a while, and I have other things to do today now that the base wards are up and running.

I've tied them all to my master wardstone under my estate, so I can handle and adjustments and additions from home without having to come to the command room every time.

Plus, my map is more in-depths than the one I've shared with Sona and Rias, something Sona definitely suspects but she's right... she'd do the exact same thing. We might be allies, but that doesn't mean we have to share everything with one another.

Standing again, Sona leans over the table in front of the large map on the wall with a look of intense focus as she moves the map around, following Tsubaki and two more of her Peerage as they had to intercept the Youkai, and unable to resist the urge I give a low wolf whistle making her look over her shoulder at me.

“Really?” Sona asks, her school skirt barely managing to cover her new ass as she bends over slightly, making me wonder who the hell designed them.

“Just admiring my work.” I say defensively as my eyes roam up her legs.

“I can't tell if you are more of a sloth or a lust devil.” Sona mutters as she turns back to the map, despite her words I notice her arch her back just a little more as she sticks her bubble-butt out further in my direction, her skirt riding up more. “Before you say anything, old ones didn't fit any more.” Sona says defensively as her lack of panties is exposed. “I intend to go shopping when I have more time.”

“Oh, there's no rush...” I chuckle, giving her ass one last long look before I take my leave before I do something that's going to get me in trouble.

  
**+5 Affection with Sona for making her feel sexy [30/100]**

She's fun.

I'm pretty sure this isn't quite how Venelana expected things to go, but it works either way.

As I head up to the main school, Rias starts to head down the stairs, and keeping to Venelana's plans I just walk past her without a second glance.

**-5 Affection with Rias for ignoring her and hurting her pride [-10/100]**

Before she can say anything, I head up into the school itself. I've already been introduced to the Headmaster (a rather irrelevant old man) and the teachers have been given a general order to ignore my coming and going even if their lists say I should be in class.

Basically, I am always marked as being in attendance even when I'm not and I can attend or skip as I please. It just stops people from wondering why I don't go to school since on paper I'm a student.

Heading for the main gate, I stretch slightly as I start my planning. All three unusual powers I sensed were in this school, and I'm almost ready to grab Issei and Saji, but I want to look into this third power.

My vague and spotty knowledge of canon DxD tells me that the only three Unclaimed Sacred Gears in Kuoh should be Issei's, Saji's and Asia's when she appears.

...My even more vague and spotty knowledge of Fate says Zouken Matou shouldn't be here, and all I can remember of him is that he likes doing some weird worm rape thing. Doujins gave me my fate knowledge, so I don't have much to work with.

The third power is definitely not Asia, but I have a way to find out.

My surveillance ward might act like a map from the school console, but from my home one I can use it to see basically anywhere within the ward limits, and I can use it's camera mode (and explaining to Izan that camera was a better description than Third Eye mode was a pain) and simply spy on whoever the third person is, using Observe through it to find out if there power is worth grabbing or irrelevant enough to leave to one of the others.

I'll find out when I get home.

“Nine inches long... and you're only at half-mast?” a lewd giggling voice says making me pause, turning slightly to the heavily breathing girl, her thick glasses fogged up as she giggles perversely, her golden eyes locked on my crotch.

The panting brunette has her somewhat messy hair done in two braids, and the kinda slutty uniform tells me she's a Kuoh student, but that all fades away into the background from the utterly depraved look on her face as she stares intensely at my dick.

...or alternatively, I could just wander into the third person?

**Aika Kiryuu, She who sees all**

**LVL – 7**

**Faction – Kuoh Academy**

**Role – Student**

**Race – Human (Empowered)**

**Thoughts – Lust**

**Affection – 25  
Obedience – 0**

'She who sees all'?

“Is there something I can do for you?” I ask after a moment, Aika's panting and staring not stopping.

“For me? No, but you there's a lot you could do to me...” Aika giggles as one of her hands reaches up and squeezes her breast through her uniform, a lewd moan leaving her mouth.

The corridor is hardly busy, but there are a few students walking by who all give us a wide berth, avoiding the red-faced girl who is barely stopping herself from masturbating in the middle of the school.

“I feel like you have me at a bit of a disadvantage.” I say in slight confusion as I look around, people are whispering to themselves but they don't seem surprised at her actions.

“True~ lets fix that.” Aika says as she reaches up, rapidly undoing her shirt and pulling it apart as the school girls around us gasp, my eyes locking onto her barely covered chest, in a purple micro-bikini of all things as she goes to grab it and pull it up.

“Aika Kiryuu!” Sona shouts out of nowhere, making us both jump slightly as Aika pales.

“Shit, it's President Killjoy.” Aika mumbles as Sona storms forwards.

  
“I have told you, repeatedly, that while you are on school grounds there is a certain level of decorum that expected of you.” Sona practically growls as Aika frowns to herself, seeming disappointed. “Kuro, I see you have met our resident degenerate. Aika, come with me _please._ ”

  
I get the feeling that she wasn't actually asking.

“Kuro, huh?” Aika says, ignoring the slowly reddening Sona, and that isn't a blush growing on her cheeks.

Pausing for a moment, she looks between me and Sona before she simply grabs her bikini top and flips it up, two large breasts bouncing free as her eyes immediately lock onto my crotch again, Sona losing her patience and simply grabbing Aika by the ear and dragging her away.

“Full mast, eleven inches long! Call me!” Aika shouts as she is dragged to an unpleasant fate, the school girls around us bursting into giggles and blushes as I stand there, baffled.

What the hell just happened?

**I believe you just encountered a very thirsty girl, Master.**

**\- Later -**

Arriving at home, I immediately sigh at the sight of four markers in my home that aren't already labelled, of course I have visitors and it seems that Aria let them in and is already seeing to them.

My work is never done.

Heading to the living room, I hide my sigh as I see Rayna and Ravel calmly waiting for me, two young women dressed like maids waiting behind them as they talk to Aria and Helia.

“I'm sorry for the wait, but I wasn't aware we would be meeting again so soon.” I say easily as I take a seat opposite them, immediately being served a drink myself as Rayna's lips twitch.

“I'm not surprised, Riser didn't even remember what he had traded to you for... Better Rias, he'd be here himself but he is currently getting shouted at by his father.” Rayna says simply as Ravel giggles lightly.

“Yeah... last night is fairly blurry, unfortunately.” I admit with a slight smirk as Rayna blushes lightly at the reminder of what else I enjoyed last night.

“Then allow me to explain, Riser in his drunken genius decided that he wanted to get rid of the Peerage member he wasn't 'allowed to fuck' in his words, and traded you his sister to be your first Peerage member, I imagine you haven't noticed the missing Bishop piece yet?” Rayna asks making my eyes widen as I check my inventory.

**[Mutation Evil Pieces]**

**Pawns x 8**

**Bishop x 1**

**Rook x 2**

**Knight x 2**

**Queen x 1**

...Whoops.

“Ahh, I take it you are here to get her back?” I ask awkwardly making Rayna's eyebrow rise.

“No, I am simply here to discuss my daughters new position and apparently give you a reminder of what you did last night. My daughter helped Riser take care of the various paperwork that comes from being a King, and in his everlasting wisdom decided that she would be perfect with helping you run your new business, assuming Lady Serafall hasn't destroyed the paperwork you drunkenly sent her at 2am.” Rayna says with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“No, she put it through for me... and I probably owe her an apology.” I say awkwardly.

“Wonderful, congratulations on being the founder of 'I'll name it later' then.” Rayna continues with a growing smile as Ravel giggles slightly. “That is the company name you put on your paperwork after all.”

“...damn it.”

“Quite, now we have discussed Riser's actions quite intently since we found the drunken misspelled contract you to wrote in marker pen last night, and realised that he had already traded Ravel over to you, and both myself and Lord Phenex have decided that this really isn't as bad as it might seem, especially since it has become clear Riser can't be trusted to look after his little sister.” Rayna continues as Ravel blushes slightly. “However, while Ravel might be your servant now I will have to insist on some limitations, or if you are not willing to accept them for you to trade her back to us, my husband is willing to offer several of his Peerage in place of her if necessary.”

“Wait, you're just going to leave Ravel with me?” I ask making her nod.

  
“Lord Phenex thinks it will serve as good training for her to help run your new business for when she eventually returns to help run the Phenex Tears business, however we must insist that she remains a virgin during her time with you, unless you are willing to accept her as your bride in which case we will need to discuss that contract and the dowry for her hand.” Rayna continues making Ravel turn bright red, a quiet desperate 'Mother' leaving the blushing girl.

“What do you think about this, Ravel? I know you kinda passed out before all this happened.” I ask making her look at me, still blushing.

“I... am unsure to be honest, my King. While the fact that I was traded away so easily offends me, I have to say it is freeing to not have to babysit my immature brother any more, and I believe I am both responsible and capable enough to be a boon to you and your business... besides that-” Ravel trails off, making me pause before I chuckle and send a mental command.

Seconds later, Nyx bursts into the room in a flash of blue flame, Ravel's eyes lighting up in joy as Nyx sings a song. They can't understand her, but I can and her song can be best translated to 'Look at me you foolish imposters, witness the glory of a true Phoenix you featherless apes'.

Phoenix song is less beautiful when it gets automatically translated.

Landing in front of Ravel, Nyx gives me a look that promises pain as she is immediately scooped up and cuddled by the squealing young devil.

**+10 Affection with Ravel for understanding [30/100]**

“I had wondered why she seemed so excited.” Rayna deadpans as she watches her daughter cuddle a less than pleased bird, I'll bribe her with to behave later, I have all her favourite berries stashed where she can't find them. “Regardless, moving on while she is distracted... these are Marion and Bülent, two of Riser's former pawns. As part of his punishment we took them off him since they both worked for the Phenex family as maids before joining Riser's peerage. It was decided that they would accompany Ravel to act as her own maids, and as her King that puts them under your command.” Rayna explains as the two maids both bow to me in synch.

Both are wearing French maid uniforms with some minor difference, the light brown haired girl (Marion, as Observe tells me) has a sleeveless brown and white maid-dress with an apron, with light grey tights covering her legs while the darker-brown haired Bülent has a more form fitting black maid dress which exposes her considerable cleavage and lack of bra, giving me a flirty smile as my eyes linger there for a second, she also has nothing covering her legs and her dress ends at her upper-thigh, giving her a far more slutty appearance than her calmer counterpart.

“It is an honour to serve you, Lord Dantalion.” Marion says politely with a calm smile.

“Feel free to call on me for _whatever_ you want, My Lord~” Bülent adds with a sultry tone.

“I have spoken to them at lengths, My Lord, and I believe they will be excellent additions to the serving staff here, they are well trained.” Aria adds making them both smile at her.

“As they should be, they are both from a family that has served the Phenex's since before the Great War, they've been raised to serve from birth.” Rayna adds making me nod to them as I turn back to her.

“Riser isn't angry that he lost two Peerage members?” I ask making her scoff.

“Riser is currently just glad he got away with his stupidity with such a light punishment, and happy he has more spots on his Peerage he can fill. This was his idea anyway, to make sure Ravel had some friends with her.” Rayna says as I chuckle slightly.

  
Riser isn't a bad guy, I mean he isn't a good guy either but you can see Riser's good side with things like this.

“I see, send him my regards.” I say making her smile slightly.

  
“I will, once he gets away from my husbands lecturing.” Rayna says in fond amusement. “This isn't as bad as it could have been, but it is mostly by good fortune that this is not a disaster... but let's move on, on behalf of House Phenex I would like to inquire what it would take to recruit your assistance in awakening our house founder, and I am well aware that Venelana told you of our slumbering ancestor. So, what price do you desire for us to recruit the aid of you and your familiar in awakening her?” Rayna asks seriously, even Ravel stilling slightly.

Pausing for a moment, I lean back in my seat with a small smile.

“I suppose the better question, is what are you willing to offer for my aid?”

**\- Sirzechs -**

Riser wasn't as bad as Rias was convinced, but that didn't mean he was a particularly nice person.

Or one with good decision making skills, especially while he was incredibly drunk, which would explain why he decided to post a sex tape with his latest plaything on the Devilnet for everyone to see.

It wasn't the first time he'd done this, there were videos of him and his various Peerage members out there if you cared enough to try and track them down, either from when he got drunk enough to get caught fucking them in public or when he recorded them himself for whatever reason.

But this time his little post had gathered a lot of attention, for the several reasons.

Firstly, because you could clearly see Kuro and his mother making out in the background, Venelana's dress pulled down leaving one of her breasts exposed while Kuro groped it. Venelana was, as many would say, a grade-a milf and she was high on the list of sexiest devils.

Secondly, the new woman Riser was showing off was quite unusual given her long red scaled snake tail, and several of the pictures and videos showed her slithering around unnaturally, which led to a lot of questions around where in the Underworld Riser had found her, all answered by Riser's post that Kuro had used his magic to design Riser a custom servant (with less than subtle references to Kuro's upcoming business)

But the third reason it was getting so much attention? Riser and Rias's war/engagement had gotten a lot of interest simply because devils enjoyed drama... and the fact that 'Better Rias' looked almost identical to his little sister had led to a lot of amusement at the latest blow in their endless battle.

It led to something else entirely for him, watching the pov video of 'Better Rias' obediently pleasuring Riser with her mouth, staring up at him in awe, her serpentine features mostly off screen for the most part almost making him believe it was the actual Rias worshipping Riser's dick (at least until the camera shifted slightly and the giant scarlet tail came back into view)

Looking down at the white stains on the floor beneath his desk, he sighed as he closed the video, the pictures and videos already saved to his phone.

Kuro could make sex toys that looked identical to... anyone.

A part of him was enraged at his precious Rias-tan having her image reduced to this, but it was drowned out by the larger part than wanted to run to Kuoh and find out what it would cost to get his own.

He was a sick man, but perhaps he had found a solution, it wouldn't cure his dark desires but it would give him an outlet for them... Serafall had probably already ordered a dozen Sona ones, but somehow it was more acceptable for Serafall to openly lust after her little sister than it was for him to secretly want Rias.

**\- Bonus Scene - Odin -**

“Calm! You tell me my wife was murdered, refuse to tell me who I need to erase from this world, and then you tell me to _CALM MYSELF?!”_ Odin roared at the sheepish Azazel.

“No, I said I wouldn't tell you how did it or how I know if you're just going to rush off and get yourself killed in the process.” Azazel said as he held his hands up defensively, making Odin scoff as he gripped Gungnir tightly, the Dwarvish masterpiece almost creaking under his grip.

  
“Please calm down, Lord Odin... you're making Asgard shake.” Rossweisse said weakly making him scoff louder.

“It's my realm, I can shake it if I want to, stay out of this you damn virgin.” Odin muttered as he turned back to Azazel, his eyes narrowing. “If you think I'm going to get myself killed, then it is someone very powerful... one of the Satans? No, those brats are all too young, Ophis?” Odin asked, staring his friend down.

“We both know you've grown weak over the years, centuries of moping and whoring haven't treated you well, even Thor is stronger than you now. Give me your word you won't run off recklessly and I will tell you everything I know. I swore I'd help you avenge Freya all those years ago and I meant it.” Azazel said calmly, Odin sitting back in his throne as his scowl faded slightly.

Freya was an old would, but one that was still weeping to this very day.

“Fine, you have it.” Odin said with a growl making Azazel raise an eyebrow. “Ugh, very well. I, Odin, King of Asgard, swear not to act rashly on your information. Happy now, you damnable crow?” Odin asked grumpily, making Azazel smirk lightly.

“There is a new Devil with the power to call the souls of the dead back to the land of the living, and I helped Ajuka with some experiments after it became clear that Devils do in fact have their own afterlife, an eternity of suffering that both Devils and Fallen can look forwards to. During it, I had Lord Dantalion attempt to call forth the soul of Freya, and it succeed.” Azazel explained making Odin sit up straighter, his complete attention on Azazel's words.

“You asked her how she died then? Was she... what afterlife do us Gods have to look forwards to?” Odin asked making Azazel smile.

“None, quite literally. For Freya it had seemed like a mere moment since her death, it came as quite a surprise to hear that centuries had passed. She... hasn't changed, and if she wasn't a spirit she'd probably have stabbed me.” Azazel said easily making Odin chuckle fondly.

“Last time she saw you, you were fleeing for your life after she caught you watching her bathe, or did you think I'd forgotten?” Odin asked making Azazel laugh sheepishly. “Or was it the fact that you kept seducing her Valkyries that enraged her so?”

“Probably the Valkyries, modesty was never high on her list of priorities.” Azazel admitted with a shrug.

“True, crazy minx that she was... but don't think you can distract me. Who killed my wife?” Odin asked, making Azazel flinch slightly.

“Okay, I know you aren't going to take this well but I need you to stay calm. It was an alliance between... Loki and Hades.” Azazel finally admitted a Rossweisse paled rapidly at the look of serene calm on Odin's face.

**\- Loki -**

As the very foundations of Asgard shook, the entire realm quaking he sat up straight, looking around rapidly.

What in the nine realms was-

“ **LOOOOOOOOOKIIIIIIIII!** ”

Perhaps it was time for a vacation? He had no idea which of his many schemes and pranks had caused this, but right now he felt like it was in his best interest to be somewhere else.

Muspelheim was nice this time of year, or maybe it was time to go visit his beloved daughter in Helheim? No, that's the first place he would check.

“ **WHERE IS THAT WORTHLESS TRICKSTER!?** ”

On second thought, perhaps he should take a few decades away from the Norse realms?

  
It was times like this he wished he stuck to one scheme at a time, at least this way he'd know what had the Allfather out for his blood. Off the top of his head, he could think of two dozen things he had done that could have angered the one-eyed bastard but really only one of them was seri-

“ **COME OUT YOU TREASONOUS SNAKE, YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY FREYA?! I'LL SCATTER YOUR REMAINS THROUGH THE NINE REALMS AND BEYOND!”**

Ahh.

Shit.

**Authors Note: Two chapters in Two Days? Yup. Turns out I have a considerable amount of free time now and I had nothing better to do than write ( _sorry Mir_ ) so I pumped a chapter out.**

**Next Update: Freedom Ch11.5 (Dungeon Focused)**


	12. 11-5: Build a Base

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 11.5: Build-a-base (Takes place around the same time as Ch11)**

I knew there would be problems with my capture of this little camp, there was no way a war-like society like the one these orcs and associated creatures have would allow even a small and irrelevant outpost be taken from them, and to make things worse I timed this poorly as they ave a brand new War Cheifess in charge, and the fact that she has lost an outpost to an outside force within a week of her taking over is a big black eye that she needs to fix before she is seen as weak, which would lead to countless challenges and rebellions.

Miza has been highly useful in helping me understand the society I have forcibly inserted myself in. Miza is a scout, and more importantly a thief with zero loyalty towards her own people, and she is smarter than she acts.

There have been several attempts to... test the wards, mostly by goblins likely sent as expendable sacrifices as they enter the ward boundary, necrotic magic immediately assaulting their bodies, assuming they possess the strength to force their way through the repulsion ward, and several rotting corpses lie around the camp but I'm sure this is just the prelude to a full assault and I need to be prepared for what is to come.

I've seen the orcs, hobgoblins, and even dark skinned elves, watching from the edge of the barrier, they even marked out where it starts so they don't accidentally enter it.

I reworked the wards slightly, placing the repulsion ward just around the camp walls since it can only delay people anyway, and I'd rather delay people while they are stuck taking damage from the necrotic ward. It also serves to deflect or at least weaken arrows and other ranged projectiles, something the orcs already know as they tried sending a few arrows at it, watched them hit the invisible barrier and flee before my naga could return fire.

Someone else has tested the limits of my wards, entering just far enough to take damage before they flee and attempt from somewhere else, but they are sneaky enough to avoid my nagas gaze and they flee to fast for me to use the surveillance ward to track them down as they always leave its range. I got a brief glimpse of a cloaked figure heading into the woods, too tall to be a goblin and too slim to be an orc, so they are likely one of these elves, Drow I think they are called.

Sitting at the nice hardwood desk, I look around my 'room' in the camp, a grimoire open in front of me. I definitely need better accommodations, a tent with mismatched furniture doesn't... suit me.

I've grown up twice, once in an extravagant castle and the second in a modern, fairly wealthy, home. I have standards, and this doesn't match them despite the best attempts to make it more liveable.

Beyond just comfort, I need to give off a position of power to keep the goblins in line and intimidate my orcish enemies, and living in a bugbears shitty tent doesn't work.

“M-master? We'z got them bugs ya wanted.” a nasally voice says making me turn to the side, looking at the nervous goblin standing in the tent opening holding a wooden pot with a lid on the top.

“Wonderful, place it on my desk please.” I say calmly, his nerves increasing at my polite tone. They are used to barked orders and insults, but you catch more flies with honey or something like that and he quickly brings me what I sent a few of them out for, practically fleeing after he places it down next to me.

They aren't used to me yet, but that is fine.

I have more important things to do than spend my time playing nice with the goblins, they fear and respect me and that keeps them in line for the moment.

Opening the container, I reach in and pluck one of the bugs my minions have gathered out of it, closing it as I hold the fairly large ant in my grasp.

The tiny creature struggles in my gentle grip for a moment before I get to work. Do you know how many bugs there are in a forest? I sent a couple of goblins out barely two hours ago to find me some and the pot they brought me has dozens at least.

Of course, as they are now they are beyond useless for me like they are now as anyone could simply step on them and squish them, but that is the whole point of fleshcrafting, taking useless flesh and making it... serviceable.

The ant in my grasp grows still as my magic goes to work, twitching slightly as its brown shell turns black and grows thicker, a purple liquid dripping from its mandibles as I place it back down, smiling at the tiny creature.

It remains perfectly still as it awaits its command, my magic having done its work on the creatures primitive mind.

That was step one, to make a more durable and dangerous ant. All I did was use what I have learnt to make its shell thicker and far, far tougher. I've practiced with my ghouls to make their skin more tough and I have really made some good progress, their skin as hard as steel while keeping its flexibility and allowing them to move freely.

Placing my finger down on the ant, I push down with a fraction of my devil strength and smile as it remains uncrushed, if I put more effort in I'm sure I could crush it but that's were step two comes in.

Lifting the ant, I place it on the floor of my tent, wooden planks I had put down so I wasn't walking on dirt.

Grabbing my Fleshcrafting Grimoire once again, I give the spell I have been studying another read with furrowed brows, before I put it down and look down at my ant once again.

Holding my hand out, I send my magic out once again, smiling as the miniscule creature starts to grow.

The smile is promptly wiped from my face as my test subject explodes into a small burst of purple fluid, a tiny smear on my wooden floor as I sigh.

Next.

**\- Later -**

Stepping back, I watch the ant cautiously, waiting for the inevitable explosion, purple blood covering the floor (and some tent walls unfortunately) as a testement of the last dozen or so attempts.

I can get them to grow, but they always blow up eventually and the bigger they grow the larger the explosion, or implosion in some cases, but as I stare at the large dog sized insect as its mandibles click together, I realise that I have done it.

I have made... Super Ant.

“If you explode, I'm gonna burn every ant hill in this forest.” I say after a moment as it looks up at me, tilting its head slightly. I may be slightly fed up with getting covered in purple, sticky and highly poisonous liquid.

Also acidic so I'm going to need to have the wooden planks replaced since they kinda melted.

**Spell Learnt**

**[Mass Growth]**

**A spell which causes massive and rapid growth in the target, causing it to rapidly grow in size, strength and abilities in flora and fauna, making them far more dangerous.**

It worked?

Holy shit it worked.

I need a name for my new creation, and after a moment of careful consideration the perfect name comes to me.

Giant Ant.

Because I'm tired and annoyed and fuck putting any more effort into these bastards than I have had to already.

...and once I've done a few tests to make sure I got it all right, I'm going to need to do it all again for the rest of the little fuckers.

This had better be worth it.

**\- Much Later -**

It turns out that ants are fucking morons, and even if I give them commands they are still just insects, their mind works in strange and frankly baffling ways and they keep getting my orders wrong or to be more exact... they follow my order to the letter regardless of anything else.

If I told them to walk in a direction, they'd keep heading that way even if they hit a wall or there was a pool of lava in their way, throwing themselves into it like lemmings which makes them fairly useless without me babysitting them.

I have twenty of the bastards now, all the size of very large dogs, which has led my goblins to scurry away and hide as I gather them in the middle of the camp, looking over my newest creations.

The answer for how to deal with this particular problem was easy when I thought about it some more. Everyone who knows anything about ants knows they have a Queen Ant that commands the colony, and while I have no idea how to tell a Queen from a regular ant, I could just _make_ a Queen.

Patting the much larger ant next to me on its head, I smile as it clicks its mandibles excitedly.

How did I make this one smart enough to command a colony? I just took a human brain and combined it with the ants, then connected it to the others through a hive mind, nature is both wonderful and scary.

So now I have a horse sized Ant Queen and twenty Giant Ants ready to serve her will, and through her, my will.

“Now then, lets get to work.” I say petting the massive Ant Queen as she chitters, the twenty Giant Ants moving in perfect unison as they start digging.

They have their task, they know their duty and the Queen will keep them working on it without needing me to babysit them the entire time.

Which means I can get back to my second goal, solidifying the Goblins loyalty through the simplest method, by making a few Servants to keep them occupied and thinking with their dicks.

While I have thirty two goblins, over twenty five of them are male and that includes Miza and Lezea, and while Shanx has no problems gouging them for coins for the chance to fuck her, she's one of only two female goblins who put out, both prostitutes.

I'm running out of materials, and I'm going to need to get my hands on some more humans, or humanoids soon if I want to continue my experimentation, but the ones I have left aren't good for much other than Servants anyway.

It doesn't take me long to turn some of my prisoners into Servants, the changes are fairly minimal and easy to do, though I make sure to do it where Lezea and Bryria can see to remind them that they don't want me to decide they aren't worth keeping as prisoners.

Before long I have five obedient women standing before me, with varying ages from their mid-teens to middle-aged, all tweaked to make them more appealing, flaws removed and traits enhanced. I've had Aria arrange for some revealing clothing for them, simple silk slave outfits that wouldn't be out of place in a sultans palace, you can't go wrong with the classics after all.

“You called for me, Boss man?” Shanx asks as she enters my tent, making me look up from my Grimoire. I need to practice with the Mummification branch but Fleshcrafting seems more useful for now.

“I did, tell me Shanx... what exactly is your role?” I ask closing my book, making her pause.

“My role? Well, I'm a whore?” Shanx asks as she walks towards me, looking fairly confused. “I figured that was why you called me, or don't you wanna fuck?”

“Hm, maybe later but no that is not why I called you. You see, I've decided to do something about the lack of... entertainment in the camp and provide the camp with some servants, slaves really.” I say gesturing to the servants. “And I realised that would put you out of business, more of less, and I've decided to... repurpose you.” I say calmly, watching her brows.

“Err... sex is all I really know, Boss?”

“I know, but you strike me as a fairly smart woman, you certainly didn't have any trouble handling your customers unlike your... co-worker, and I've decided your brains are being wasted and as such I've decided to put you in charge of these five and the other goblin prostitute, I'll arrange for a place of business for you later on.” I reply calmly, making her eyes widen slightly, before she smiles, a sly look in her eyes.

I noticed when I was observing the goblins under me that Shanx's intelligence was considerably higher than anyone elses, with the exception of Miza, and I'd be a fool not to put her to use.

“So you want me to run a brothel, here?” Shanx asks, staring at me intently. Money is weird here, especially when half the creatures in the forest can drop small bags of coins or gems, and they tend to work on more of a barter system than anything else, and they also leave tribute for their 'boss'.

I've already found coins and some gems left in a small chest outside my tent.

“What's the catch? No-one does anything because they's feeling nice, specially not devils.” Shanx asks making me smile back at her.

“The catch is simple, when I get around to making a place of business, I intend to make it both a tavern and a brothel, and if there is anything that makes men loose-lipped, it is sex and booze.” I say calmly, making her pause as her eyes widen.

  
“You want me to spy for you, Boss?” Shanx asks, making me smile wider as her grin grows. “Well... you're the boss man, and you ain't wrong, men can be dumb when pussy is involved, specially goblin men.”

“Then congratulations on your promotion, Madame Shanx.” I say with a smile as I grab the two glass's of wine I prepared earlier.

As I pass it to her, I frown as Vesra, the leader of my nagas, slithers into my tent, I didn't summon her and she was supposed to be scouting.

“Massster, enemies approach.” Vesra hisses as I rise, scowling.

  
“Celebrations will be delayed, Shanx. Leave us, you can take the glass.” I say as she bows awkwardly, fleeing the tent. “Report.”

“Green-skins approach fast, many.” Vesra hisses as I pause, before I head out of the tent and grow my wings, flying into the sky.

I immediately see what Vesra meant, and realise I need to teach her to be a bit more specific as I watch the approaching horde, hundreds strong.

Through the tree line I can see goblins, orcs and what I can only assume are trolls, occasionally knocking the smaller trees down as they march, loudly, towards my outpost. I can hear the sound of drums growing louder, and they chose the middle of the day to do this for some reason so they don't have the cover of night to hide their approach.

...is that a catapult they are pushing towards me?

Dodging to the side quickly, I watch as an arrow passes the spot I was just occupying and frown, flying back down to the camp.

Well, this is going to be interesting.

**\- Mazoga -**

“Tell me, are you slow?” Iymrae says as she barges into her private quarters, making Mazoga grab her axe quickly as she rises, the arrogant Drow flinching ever so slightly before she hides it. “I said to leave this invading devil to me, that I could put his powers to use for the Horde, and you agreed... so why exactly is there an army heading towards the captured outpost?” she screeches, making Mazoga resist the urge to just cut her down.

It would be fairly easy, she wouldn't be War Chieftess if she wasn't strong but she knew the Drow would have arranged for life to become unpleasant after her death, it was the exact kind of thing she'd enjoy. Plots within schemes, all spun like the web of one of her Goddess's spiders.

Besides, the smug dark-skinned elf had her uses, and there were too many Drow in the capital for her to kill their leader without it causing chaos.

“What in the nine hells are you babbling about?” Mazoga growled, glaring at the Drow. She wished she could say she was surprised, but the fact that one of her underlings had gone on the offensive was no real surprise. “I gave no orders to attack, you were at the damnable council meeting, I told them to stay away for now.”

“Great, so you aren't an imbecile, you just can't control your own people.” Iymrae scoffed, making Mazoga growl, taking a moment of enjoyment as she faltered in her pacing. “Chief Azuk has lead an army to the outpost, my assassin sent word when they marched passed her hiding place.”

Grunting to herself, she took a moment to wish she'd put an axe in her cousins skull when she had the chance. Azuk had served the last War Chief loyally and she'd fought and beaten him during her rebellion, but he had a fairly large clan serving him and killing him would have just kept them fighting so she spared him in exchange for him pulling his clan away from the War Chief so she could challenge him.

He made no attempt to hide his hatred of her, or the humiliation he felt at having a younger woman best him, and she should have seen this coming. The fact that an outpost had been taken from them after she became War Chieftess was seen as a sign of her weakness, and Azuk was likely hoping to get support to become War Chief himself by reclaiming it and bringing the head of the devil who dared attack them.

Worse, it might actually work as several chiefs would rather have him in charge, either because he was weak enough for them to challenge or because they didn't like her, or her decisions. Allowing Ghorza, the Orc Necromancer and Iymrae a place on the council of chiefs had gained much hatred from her kind, who mistrusted mages at the best of times.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Iymrae asked making her scoff.

“Prepare. I couldn't catch up with him anyway and he wouldn't listen if I told him to stop, all I can do is hope the Devil eats his soul.” Mazoga scoffed.

“I can send a message to Faeryna, have her try and eliminate the brute.” Iymrae offered after a moment.

  
“No. If she gets spotted, even the dumbest goblin would link it back to you, and then me. Still, I might need your assassins later if the bastard actually survives. Besides, if he dies then he'll have proven my caution correct, at the cost of his own life.” Mazoga scoffed.

“An ideal outcome, but we must prepare for the worst.”

“The ideal outcome is the one where I embed my axe in the dumb bastards skull, but I'll take what I can get.”

**\- Azuk -**

Reaching the limits of the strange barrier around the outpost, he glared at the invisible barrier he knew was there, he could even see the dead goblins on the other side that he'd sent in to test it.

Mazoga might be willing to leave orc territory in devil hands, but he wasn't so weak willed.

He could already see the devil, the only human looking one, staring down at him from the walls of the outpost, wearing clothes far too fancy for battle with a strange black hood covering his face, only a pair of glowing pink eyes staring down at him.

“Open fire! Aim for the devil.” he barked, watching as his archers took aim and let loose a barrage of arrows at the figures watching them from the walls. As the shield flared to life, most of the arrows simply stopped in place and fell to the floor a few feet in front of the wall, a few getting through, too slow to reach their target as they hit the wall itself instead.

Typical magic trickery.

Gesturing, he smiled as his men pushed the catapults closer, loading them with boulders. The outpost was just that, a tiny outpost, and he'd take the devils head sooner of later.

**\- Kuro -**

Staring from beneath the Shrouded Hood, which I equipped for intimidation purposes, I stare down at the horde gathering at the edge of my wards, the clear leader barking orders at his men as they prepared their siege weapons.

I knew they'd respond sooner or later, I just didn't realise it would be so soon, or such a large force. There must be at least a hundred orcs gathered in preparation and far more goblins, along with a few trolls wielding clubs bigger than me.

**Emergency Quest!**

**[Defend your base!]**

**Objective: Defend your base from the siege lead by Chief Azuk**

**Optional Objective: Slay Chief Azuk personally**

**Reward: ???, ???**

**Optional Reward: ???**

**Failure: You lose control of the lands around the Outpost, you lose control of the Goblins**

The problem is something I have been worried about since I first took a look at my captured outpost, this place wasn't made for siege, it was made to watch for invaders and warn the other greenskins if anyone showed up, and magic can only help so much.

I need a place I can actually defend, not a shabby camp with wooden walls.

As the first boulder is launched at us, it smashes against the repulsion ward and shatters. That would be a good thing if I didn't have to duck under a rain of rock shards.

When the next one is launched, I act first and take aim, tossing a firebolt out and smirking as it collides with the large rock mid-flight. It doesn't break the rock but the blast is enough to slow the boulder, the ward doing the rest.

“Vesra, return fire. Aim for the orcs on the catapults, and the big fucker in front.” I order with a frown as I look over the forces. This is... a bit of a problem.

My necrotic ward isn't perfect, not even close, and the more people it is trying to effect the less it actually does. A single intruder would get killed fairly if they didn't leave the range, their body rotting as Necrotic magic floods through them, but if ten intruders showed up it would take ten times as long.

If they get smart and charge me, it'll be spread out over hundreds of targets and I'd be lucky to manage to rot their little toe before they overwhelmed us.

Sending a mental order out to my creations, I join the fight as my Nagas rain poisoned arrows down on the front line, Vesra picking off the orcs manning catapult with ease as they desperately try to take cover, many orcs returning fire even as my wards protects us.

I know what I need, I have the spell I need to to it... but I don't have the time, or worse, the mana to do it.

**[Create Lair] (Active)**

**Creates a lair in a hidden realm, linking it to the realm you are in. The lair is customisable but it requires more mana and raw materials the more complicated it is.**

I need a new lair, but making a couple of rooms is different from making a fortress, and the mana cost would kill me if I tried to make it all in one go.

I have the design in my head, I can use the very land around us as the material cost as the game sees it as my property after I claimed the camp for myself, but the mana cost to make what I want is... extensive.

One hundred thousand mp, extensive.

I have six thousand at the moment.

On the bright side, I can cast it over time and pump all my magic into it as it regens... on the downside it would still take almost two hours to cast.

I was hoping to rely on the orcs not being... reckless to give me enough time to build a fortress from which I could hold them off, but I should have known better. I've gotten used to dealing with devils who think every action over a dozen times and the immediate response caught me off guard.

I'll need to make an abomination capable of scouting better than my naga in the future, maybe some form of harpy to watch from the skies?

Throwing a firebolt down at one of the catapults, I watch as the wooden siege weapon catches fire and smile. At least my opponents aren't the smartest, and I can use that.

A few more firebolts puts the catapults out of commission, but as I start casting the Lair creation spell, I frown as the orcs finally lose their patience.

With a loud battle cry, they start to charge forwards, using iron shields to try and block the arrows raining down on them, I have ten nagas and they have hundreds of goblins and orcs, and even as they pass into the wards range, they aren't going to be enough to stop the horde flowing towards us.

As the orcs leading the charge get within a few meters of the outpost walls, the ground beneath their feet breaks with their weight.

But that might.

Watching as the dozens of the charging orcs fall into the new trench, crushing their brethren before they catch on and stop their charge.

Ants are masters of digging tunnels, and Giant ants dig very, very fast...

All I need to buy is myself the time.

**\- Azuk -**

Barely stopping his charge before he fell into one of the newly opened ditches, he watched as many of his brothers in arms weren't so lucky, the ground beneath them breaking away and dropping them a dozen feet into the dirt.

Damnable devils didn't know how to fight with honour, and as an arrow managed to get passed his shield, he grunted in pain as he grabbed it and ripped it out, staring at the slowly darkening flesh around the wound.

Of course the devil scum's minions used poison, but with a growl he tossed the arrow aside. He wasn't so weak as to be bested so easily by such treachery.

He could also feel the devils strange magic effecting him, combining with the poisoned wound to make the flesh around his bleeding wound grow tainted, the blood leaking out of him turning a unhealthy black, but he wouldn't be defeated so easily.

The first warning he had of the devils true scheme came as the men in the ditch started to scream, drawing his attention just in time to see one of his men, a warrior who had fought by his side against Vampires, High Elves and even Dragonkin, scream in terror as a insect burrowed out of the dirt he was laying against and simply bite his head off before it sprayed a purple mist out at the other men in the ditch before fleeing as his men shrieked in terror and agony, their flesh melting under as the purple liquid covered them.

To make things worse, before he could shout for it to stop one of the trolls joined the doomed fools in the pit, charging forwards determined to attack the walls and simply falling straight to its doom, giant insects setting upon it immediately as it was dragged into the depths.

Glaring up at the wall again, he paused as he noticed something unexpected.

The snake bitches were still there, firing poisoned arrows at them and spitting globs of poison over the wall down onto them, but the devil was nowhere in sight.

**\- Kuro -**

The problem with the necrotic ward was an oversight in its creation, it attempts to hurt everyone trespassing at the same time because of how I set it up, and since I'm stuck unable to cast spells while I'm channelling my lair creation spell I decided I might as well fix that so it can actually fucking do something.

The gate will fall eventually, and while my ghouls are waiting on the other side to hold back the horde I need every advantage I can get, which is why I'm fiddling with the wardstone while we are under attack.

Perhaps not the smartest thing to do, but the ant tunnels have given the orcs pause and they are hesitant to continue charging, fearing another trap. Also, giant bugs scare everyone.

Changing a few runes here and there, I smile as the Necrotic ward comes back online, its mechanics altered enough so that it can actually help out again.

The change is simple, instead of targetting every trespasser it simply picks one and hard targets them, before moving onto the next. I don't have time to stop and set up a smart targetting system so right now it is simple, picking its targets simply by how long they have been under the ward.

Returning to the walls, I have to admit I feel rather useless just sat here watching but any spell I cast would interrupt my casting and delay my victory condition, which while annoying means I have to be content just watching the chaos.

I've given the goblins bows as well and had them fire down at them, but without the naga poison their plain iron arrows are fairly ineffective, but every little helps right?

I'll look into... upgrading the goblins later.

Still, I have something I can do to speed this whole mess up.

**Kuro Dantalion, the Lord of House Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 32 (21%)**

**Alignment – Neutral Evil**

**Mentor – Izan Dantalion (Wardcrafting)**

**Apprentice – None**

**HP – 2000 [400 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 6000 [800 regen per minute]**

**SP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]**

**STR – 20 (x10) = 200**

**END – 20 (x10) = 200**

**DEX – 20 (x10) = 200**

**INT – 60 (x10) = 600**

**WIS – 40 (x10) = 400**

**CHA – 30 (x20) = 600**

**LCK – 20 (x15) = 300**

**Stats – 20**

Every kill my minions do counts as mine, and my exp has been slowly increasing as the invaders have fallen, and these are in much greater numbers than last time. Honestly, they are doing me a favour. Right now my problem is mp regen, which means as much as I don't want to... all my stats are going into Wisdom.

**[Mana Surge] – WIS [50]**

**Once per day you can cause the mana within you to surge, regenerating at five times the usual speed for five minutes, however after the surge is finished you will not regenerate mana for thirty minutes**

Well hello there, aren't you interesting?

Obviously I can't use it immediately but quickly doing the maths in my head, I smirk as I realise that with my new mp regen rate and this skill I can regen 30k mp in five minutes, which if I do a the end will cut off a lot of the wait time.

The debuff is a problem but I shouldn't need to cast for a while if my plan comes to fruition.

With this, I just need to hold out for roughly forty-five minutes, and as I fly back up to the walls, watching the orcs trying to pull their brothers and sisters out of my ants tunnel, all while trying to swipe at the hungry insects, I smile.

My ants have shells harder than steel, their iron weapons are no real threat and only the leader is even able to hurt them, slashing at one of them and cutting off its mandible making it screech in pain, spitting acidic blood all over the fool.

Despite the acidic liquid burning into him, it doesn't stop him from charging forwards and embedding his axe in the ants skull, ripping it out with a roar as it falls dead making me frown to myself.

...his weapon is made of something far stronger than the others, and he is the biggest threat, though as a troll grabs one of the ants and drags it from the dirt, smashing its head with its club I have to admit, they are doing better than I thought.

I underestimated their strength, and they regenerate fairly quickly as its melted flesh regrows. It'll be interesting to study them and learn how to steal and improve that for my abominations.

Should I be worried that I'm starting to see people and creatures by what I could make with them? Possibly, but as one of the trolls climbs the pit and reaches the wall I realise that I might be in a bit of a situation.

Even as my nagas rain arrows and poison down on it, it brings its club down on the frankly shitty wooden doors with a thunderous crash, making me wince as the doors visibly buckle and crack beneath it, making the clearly dumb creature cheer to itself as it continues beating on the door.

When I rule this realm, I'm going to have words with whoever it was that decided that outposts didn't need to be defensible, but for now I can just watch as another troll joins them and the gate gives way quickly.

On the bright side, those two seem to be the last of the trolls as there was only a few and my ants ambushed the other three, even if it cost me a couple of them, but on the dark side...

“Push forwards, men! WAAAAGH!”

As the leader lets out a uncomfortably loud warcry, he also manages to pull himself out of the dirt pit, injured as he might be, and charges towards the open gate, the trolls lumbering in through the gates.

I still have over half an hour to go before I can finish my spell... but I have a back-up plan.

“Get moving, quickly.” I bark at the goblins and nagas as I fly down, landing behind my ghouls as they quickly move, following the emergency plan I laid out before the battle started.

I just need to buy a little time for now.

“Finally done hiding, devil scum?!” the orc, Azuk presumably, bellows as he charges at me, my ghouls letting him pass making him hesitate for a moment before he continues rushing towards me.

My ghouls form ranks back up after he passes, cutting him off from his men and getting to work trying to slay the trolls and the other orcs that have made their way across the pit, which can only delay them now as I smirk.

I'm glad he is a lead from the front kind of man, it makes this far easier.

Make no mistake, this is a dangerous situation since I can't use my magic at the moment but I still have an ace up my sleeve.

“I was never hiding, I simply didn't feel like coming down to meet someone as irrelevant as you.” I say calmly, a iron sword resting in my hand, the best one I could get in this crappy outpost. I need a blacksmith, and soon.

It turns out that when retreating is the goal, goblins are remarkably fast... and my naga never waste time as I feel Vesra pass the boundary of the Necrotic ward... which means everything I needed to keep alive has now left the camp.

Do you know how easy it is to make something fireproof? Especially something as tough as my ghouls? They aren't undead, but they are close enough that I was worried about the traditional weaknesses of fire and light, and while I couldn't do anything about the (possible) light weakness I could certainly give them a massive resistance to fire.

Like for instance the fire that breaks out setting the wooden walls alight, the fire starting from several spots at once as the ghouls lying in wait obey my mental command, the outpost clearing growing increasingly hot as the flames spread faster and faster.

Grog, the greenskins favourite drink, is highly flammable, and it does the job in an emergency, and I knew this outpost was never going to hold against a determined siege... so if I'm going to lose it either way, I'll be doing it on my terms.

I had the ant queen working on digging an escape route for the goblins, servants and nagas this entire time, which has now been collapsed on this end to prevent anyone from joining them. It just leads out into the forest, on the the side of the camp from the battle.

And, unsurprisingly, the orcs are less eager to enter the open gates of the burning camp. The trolls panic as the nearby walls are set alight, and my ghouls, showing neither fear or caution don't hesitate to take advantage of the opening.

“You- what insanity is this?! You'd burn the forest down and kill us all?!” Azuk roars as he rushes me, making me chuckle as I take flight again, flying away from his enraged swing.

“Kill us all? Don't be so dramatic, I'm just going to kill _you_ all. I'll be fine.” I say, amused by his rage. Devils aren't fireproof, but we are fire-resistant... at least to regular non-magical fire.

I tested.

There was something I underestimated though... only you can prevent forest fires, but I sure as fuck didn't. I can see several trees alight in the distance, behind the fighting, and as my exp rises I realise that the fire spread quite a bit faster than I expected.

Whoops.

Sending an order to Vesra to lead the evacuated goblins and servants further away from the fires, I take a moment to appreciate the power of fire.

Because holy fuck is that a lot of screaming.

...all is fair in love and war, and if they didn't want to get caught in a forest fire they shouldn't have entered a forest.

Flying back towards Azuk, I swing my sword at him with a frankly clumsy strike, the orc easily deflecting it with his own, headbutting me and making me take a step back, one hand rubbing my nose slightly.

It didn't really do any damage... but ow.

“Rude.”

“R-rude? You steal our outpost, poison us, set my men on fire, set giant bugs on us and I'm rude?!” Azuk shouts, staring at my in disbelief as I pause, thinking about it.

“Very well, we are both in the wrong.” I say graciously, my smirk hidden by my hood as he lets out an enraged roar and charges me again.

A part of me wants to fight him, to prove... something? Or maybe I just like the thrill of the fight, but without my magic I am at a massive disadvantage against a pure melee warrior with far more skill with a weapon than me, I just wanted to lure him in... and get the optional objective naturally.

But I just says I need to slay him, doesn't say that I have to do all the work and sending out a mental command I smile as the ghouls responsible for our little fire charge into the clearing, rushing the orc as I take flight again.

I can stay in the air without an issue because his archers are... preoccupied.

I mean on fire.

I'm going to lose ghouls, but the only one I have a real attachment to is the first I ever made, and I sent him with the others.

Losing the rest is a minor problem, but I can replace any that die and the orcs are more concerned with the whole burning thing than trying to invade my outpost and the goblins have predictably ran for the hills.

Trying to get over a large, deep, ditch in the ground, while hungry ants the size of Great Danes try and eat you, is a problem. Trying to do it while on fire is considerably more so, and my ants aren't really flammable... I think?

And once again, all I need to do is buy time.

Setting my opponents on fire is certainly one way of doing so.

The orc puts up a fight, and bellows several insults at me as I fly around above the outpost, frowning slightly at the uncomfortable heat, but as his men fall to the flames, my ants and my ghouls, he finds himself... overwhelmed.

Smashing one of my ghouls in the face with his shield, he lunges forwards and plunges his blade deep into its stomach with a triumphant roar, which is quickly replaced with confusion as the ghoul simply grabs him in a tight grip, unconcerned with the blade sticking in its guts.

It's not like ghouls need most of their internal organs after all, and what would have been a fatal blow to an orc or human is just an uncomfortable inconvenience to the ghoul as it pins the man in place, its brethren taking the chance to claw and bite at the restrained orc.

My level continues rising as the fires consume the horde, and as I watch over the 'battle' I take a moment to praise myself for realising that everything is easier to deal with when it is on fire and half-eaten by ants.

Go me.

It's still unpleasantly hot though.

Realising I have reached the required time, I focus inwardly and activate my mana surge,, my eyes widening slightly at the rush of power, not unlike an adrenaline rush but on a different level, all the mana being funnelled into my spell as it nears completion.

Landing on the ground again, I smile as my ghouls grab the orcs arms and force him to his knees, it takes several of them to do it, one for each arm and one behind him with its claws at his throat but as I walk towards him his struggles are for naught.

“I'd have fought you fairly, but I have this feeling that I would have lost.” I admit as I stop in front of him, my honest praise making him blink in confusion.

As he goes to respond, I stab my sword forwards and stick it through his neck, pulling it out as he coughs up blood, collapsing to the ground as he is released.

**Emergency Quest Complete**

**[Defend your base!]**

**Objective Complete: Defend your base from the siege lead by Chief Azuk (Technically? The quest didn't exactly anticipate you burning the outpost down, Master)**

**Optional Objective: Slay Chief Azuk personally (You're good at this technicality thing, huh?)**

**Reward: Random Rare Useable Equipment, Random Rare Useable Consumable**

**Optional Reward: Random Epic Useable Equipment**

**Failure: You lose control of the lands around the Outpost, you lose control of the Goblins**

**[Ring of (Somewhat) Mighty Magic] – Rare**

**The ring of a long dead mage, heavily enchanted to boost his meagre magic and allow him to compete with his rivals. Obviously it didn't work that well since he's long dead but maybe you'll make better use of it.**

**Spells are 5% more effective, 5% cheaper, and the user takes 5% less magic damage.**

**[The Wine of Damnation] - Rare**

**A bottle of the most delicious wine, to die for in fact. Quite literally as it is poisoned with an deadly slow acting undetectable poison which will take effect anywhere from three days to two weeks after being drunk.**

**[Shadow-Touched Dragon Hide Arcane Warrior's Armour] – Epic**

**The armour of the Shadow branch of a order of Arcane Warriors, Battle Mages most at home on the front lines, blade in one hand and a spell in the other. Made from the hide of a black dragon, it is highly resistant to most form of damage but its true power lies in the heavy enchantments cast upon it, allowing the wearer to fade into the shadows, becoming nigh-invisible, and empowering spells connected to the Shadows.**

...equipping my new outfit without even thinking about it, I feel my smile grow as the unpleasant heat fades immediately as my body is covered in black leather, far more comfortable than it has any right to be.

Looking over myself, I take in the black and silver outfit. It almost resembles the uniform worn by the assassins from the assassins creed series, only without the hood and almost completely black, with silver accents.

The long coat goes down to my ankles at the back while being open at the front, preventing it from interfering with my manoeuvrability, and while there are metal parts (on my shoulders, waist, gloves and boots mostly) they are all positioned in places that won't slow me down in a fight. It goes well with my shrouded hood, and while the hood is pulled up there isn't a single bit of skin exposed of visible.

I have to say... I kinda like it. I do kinda feel like I need a half-cloak to go with it though.

My new ring slides over my covered finger and I feel its effect take hold, the silver ring sitting nicely on my ring finger with a small purple gem sitting on it.

Well, 5% less mana cost means I can cast my spell immediately, and I have no reason to hesitate. I do need a new home now that I've burnt my shitty tent down after all.

**\- Mazoga -**

“I... what?” Mazoga asked, staring through her bedroom window at the black tower that just... appeared in the distance.

“I do believe this means we can safely say Azuk will not be returning.” Iymrae said after a moment as they started at the intimidating structure standing proudly where she was sure the outpost should have been.

  
They'd seen the flames from here, as a forest fire of that size was hard to miss even from this far away, they could smell the smoke from the capital.

It was just a small outpost, barely important in the grand scheme of things... and yet the tower sitting on the horizon almost mockingly was anything but small.

The imposing tower of twisted black metal and stone stood as a middle finger to her, the devil making himself truly at home in her lands, with thick black walls towering over the trees surrounding it, it was a challenge, an insult laughing in their face.

They tried and failed to remove him, and now he was mocking them. It was the devil holding out his arms and saying 'come and try again if you dare'.

And now she'd see it every time she looked out of her bedroom window, everyone in the capital would see it anytime they looked to the south, a permanent symbol of her failure.

She would celebrate Azuk's death later, pissing on whatever grave his clan gave him, assuming any of them survived, but now she had a much bigger problem to deal with.

The devil wanted to challenge her? So be it.

**\- Kuro -**

Cackling to myself, I wrap myself in the quilts of my new bed in the master bedroom of my Dark Lord Towertm, it worked for Sauron and it will work for me. Well, it didn't work for Sauron, he died, and he kinda was the tower but you get what I mean.

Is it original? No. Am I an architect, or otherwise willing to put in the effort to design a new lair while also being attacked by assholes, also No. I moved my fleshcrafting lab and prisons into the tower as well, as the dungeon technically counts as a separate realm that is at least partially under my control.

I need to send a message, and the message is fuck off and leave me alone, and what better way to do that than have a massive imposing black tower, covered in spikes? Who would look at this and think 'Oh yeah, I can take him'.

And even if they are that stupid, I have walls inside my walls, layers of security and now all I need to do is make enough minions to actually fill this place.

I made the goblins a cave system with simple building beneath the tower, it turns out they actually like being underground and it has plenty of room to expand when I get more of the fuckers.

I'll need more servants to keep the place nice and tidy, and I'll need to find a way to feed the place... especially since I kinda burnt down everything nearby. The flames spread a lot further than I expected and now everything in a few mile radius is... burnt to ashes. Whoops.

It was a shit forest anyway.

I'm more concerned about the sudden cold that caused the flames to die out, it was definitely some kind of magic but whoever did it was both powerful and not actually attacking me, they just put out the fire and left as far as I can tell.

But right now, I'm just too happy to have a proper bedroom in this place instead of a fucking tent.

Oh... and then there's this.

**Kuro Dantalion, the Lord of House Dantalion**

**Race – Devil**

**Level – 41 (78%)**

**Alignment – Neutral Evil**

**Mentor – Izan Dantalion (Wardcrafting)**

**Apprentice – None**

**HP – 2000 [400 regen per five minutes]**

**MP – 6000 [1200 regen per minute]**

**SP – 2000 [400 regen per minute]**

**STR – 20 (x10) = 200**

**END – 20 (x10) = 200**

**DEX – 20 (x10) = 200**

**INT – 60 (x10) = 600**

**WIS – 60 (x10) = 600**

**CHA – 30 (x20) = 600**

**LCK – 20 (x15) = 300**

**Stats – 45**

Nothing like burning down a few miles of forest filled with orcs, goblins and probably magical creatures to power level, since they were all technically my kills.

Technically. I do love that word.

Giving it some thought, I put my points in and take a moment to enjoy the rush of power as I become... better, in almost every way, my mind sharper, my muscles stronger, my reflexes faster.

**STR – 25 (x10) = 250**

**END – 25 (x10) = 250**

**DEX – 35 (x10) = 350**

**INT – 70 (x10) = 700**

**WIS – 60 (x10) = 600**

**CHA – 30 (x20) = 600**

**LCK – 30 (x15) = 450**

Honestly, forest fires are pretty fucking useful. I should burn more stuff done.

...maybe later, I don't want to move right now.

**Authors Note: Despite the best efforts of Thunder, Cardi and Bean, I have finished the chapter. Every Kuro needs a big ass tower to hide inside and avoid his responsibilities.**

**Next Update: New Game Plus (or Slippery Slope, kinda wanna do another of that)**


	13. Chapter 12: Handling the Household

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.**

**Discord Link: discord .gg/k3jTZB9** ****

**The Gamers Guide to Freedom**

**Chapter 12: Handling the Household**

“My King, and husband, is willing to accept _almost_ any price for your assistance, healing our ancestor has been a Phenex family dream for centuries and the records suggest that Phoenix tears were extremely effective on Phenex's.” Rayna explains making me raise an eyebrow at her being so blatant. Telling the person holding the cards that you're willing to give almost anything for them is generally seen as a bad idea when negotiating, something an old devil like Rayna certainly knows.

“You realise that bringing back an original Devil is going to have... ramifications, problematic ones at that.” I point out making her wince slightly. “I might be new to the Pillars, but even I know that. As such, I find myself hesitant to get involved. Phenex is going to be awakening in a changed world, and as the person waking her up I don't want to deal with the people she pisses off.” I say after a moment.

“And we understand that, though my husband has gotten permission from the Satans to continue our attempts to awaken her, that was years ago but they can't go back on their word.” Rayna assures me. “The risks and seriousness of the situation are why we are willing to hand you a blank check, for lack of a better term.”

There are pros and cons to going through with this, and even more so for turning her down.

If the Phenex's have been trying for that long, they won't give up easily and the risk that they might even try stealing Nyx or her tears out of desperation is always a threat, and turning them down would anger them. The Phenex's are powerful and more importantly, they are well connected. Making an alliance with them is a good move since it gives me a connection with their allies, and angering them could anger their allies and make me enemies in people I have never even met.

“To start with, I want an alliance between the Phenex and Dantalion families, with a promise of support should any backlash come to me for helping wake Phenex up.” I say after a moment of thought, making Rayna pause before she nods.

“Any alliance would have to be agreed upon by my Lord, but I can't see him refusing.” she agrees making me smile.

  
“Secondly, I want any and all Phenex tears Ravel produces while she is in my Peerage.” I continue, getting another nod after a moment. “And finally, I want 5% of the profits from the Phenex Tears business for the next ten years.” I say making her eyes widen.

I have a lot of money, but I don't have any actual sources of income (yet) and running an actual business is going to probably be costly before it actually starts making me money. Having some passive income can only be good.

“That... you underestimate how much money that would add up to.” Rayna warns making me shrug.

  
“Almost anything, right? Those are my demands, you can take them to your lord.” I say easily making her pause again, before she nods.

“I will, he will likely come to negotiate or close the deal himself.” Rayna says as she rises, giving me a deep bow, my eyes drawn to her considerable cleavage. “Good day, Lord Dantalion, take care Ravel.”  
  


“I will, mother.” Ravel promises.

“Oh, one final thing. Riser has asked permission to take a brief respite from his chores to visit you later today, if you do not mind we have given him permission.” Rayna says as she forms her magical circle.

“That's fine, I'll be expecting him.” I say easily as I wave, watching her teleport away. Turning to Ravel, she blushes slightly at my stare. “I have no idea how to run a business.” I admit after a moment making her giggle slightly, Nyx flaming out of her lap to parts unknown.

“Most don't, but I have been raised to help run my family business for as long as I can remember, and if you truly want to work from commissions, it shouldn't be that difficult. We simply need to set up a way for your potential clients to contact you without showing up in person, a business DevilMail and number to start. A business bank account as well, but I can set all that up if you wish?” Ravel says making me stare at her deeply. “I can have the clients contact me, and make a list of the clients and their requests to give to you so you don't have to deal with their calls themselves.”

“I love you.” I say after a moment, her maids giggling as Ravel turns bright red.

“M-my Lord?” Ravel stutters as I stare at her.

“I mean, yes. That sounds wonderful, thank you. You should do that.” I correct watching her blush rise as she fidgets in place.

“It is nothing, as a member of your Peerage it is my place to serve you in whatever capacity you require.” Ravel says proudly, despite her raging blush.

**+10 Affection with Ravel for making her heart race [40/100]**

**+20 Obedience with Ravel because she has reaffirmed her position serving you [45/100]**

Before I can reply, Riser (and Better Rias who is know wearing a red silky harem dancer's outfit) teleport into the room, Riser letting out a groan as he practically falls into the seat, making Ravel move over to next to me with a scrunched up face.

Huh, repulsion wards don't help if they teleport straight through them, good to know.

“Brother, what in heaven is that smell?” Ravel asks making him pause as he sniffs himself before wincing.

“Burnt horse shit, father wasn't amused at me trading you away and I've been clearing the stables all morning, why the fuck did you ever want a pony?” Riser scoffs making her blush again. “Sorry Kuro, but I needed to escape before he could make me do anything else. Apparently, fire isn't the right choice for cleaning things and he won't even let me get my Peerage to help.” Riser groans making me chuckle.

“Lemme guess, you used me as an excuse to escape work?” I ask making him nod, not even ashamed. “Nice, can't fault you for wanting to avoid manual labour.”

“It didn't even work, I have half an hour before I have to go back.” Riser admitted making me laugh slightly at his pained expression. “I only convinced him by saying I wanted to apologise to Ravel, and _apologising shouldn't take long_.” he finishes mockingly, impersonating his father presumably.

“Are you going to apologise?” Ravel asked after a moment of silence, making him stare at her blankly.

  
“...why would I do that?” Riser asks making her sigh. “You don't look particularity put out, and you're not the one cleaning up your stupid horses crap.”

“I thought you'd grown a braincell for a moment, brother.” Ravel says with a sigh as Riser pauses.

“...what happened to you calling me Onii-sama?” Riser asks, making her raise an eyebrow at him.

“You traded me away, and now you aren't in charge of me any more. We are equals in our family, and the only people who I have to listen to are father and Lord Kuro.” Ravel points out calmly. “So if my idiot brother is being an idiot, I can tell you to your face because you can't actually do anything about it.” Ravel continues with a small smile.

“You can't call me that, what happened to cute submissive Ravel?”

“I still am 'cute submissive Ravel' to Kuro who is my King and as such my master who I now serve however he pleases, idiot brothers don't need respect or obedience.” Ravel says with a cold smile making Riser look at her in confusion. “On that note, My Lord, how do you wish for me to refer to you? Riser liked Onii-sama or My King because he is a megalomaniacal pervert.” Ravel continues, taking jabs at the dumbstruck brother. “Sir, My Lord, My King, Master or something else?”

“Well, you are basically my secretary so I guess Sir works?” I reply after a moment making her smile.

  
“Of course, Sir. A good choice, very professional. It doesn't scream arrogant pervert unlike some.” Ravel compliments making Riser stare at her.

“Stop insulting me, go back to nice Ravel. I can still spank you.” Riser says quickly, making her turn to him blankly.

“Actually, you can't. The only person allowed to disciple me would be Sir, and if he has a problem with my actions I will happily submit to a spanking, perhaps he'll actually use it as a form of punishment instead of a barely concealed excuse to grope me?” Ravel retorts making Riser blush slightly at the giggling coming from his former pawns.

“You're fine Ravel, and do I even need an excuse to grope you? The only limitation placed on me is that I can't take your virginity, right?” I ask making her blush slightly as she shuffles a bit closer, sitting next to me.

“O-of course not, Sir. Thanks to a certain drunken fool, I am your servant and as the King of the Peerage I am yours to command as you please.” Ravel agrees making me chuckle at her spreading blush as I stare down at her. “It is the Kings right, his prerogative, to do as he likes with his servants.”

“Tch, you were never so submissive to me.” Riser mumbles as he gropes his Better Rias for comfort.

  
“Yes I was, when have I ever failed to obey you? Anything you ordered me to do, I did without hesitation. Father told you the same thing Mother told Lord Kuro, that my innocence was to remain intact, and as Sir has realised that leaves open a lot of options, you just lacked the intelligence or boldness to take advantage of them.” Ravel pointed out making Riser pause.

“Wait... if I told you to pleasure me, or let me touch you then you would have?” Riser asked with a dumbstruck look.

“Naturally, I was your servant first and sister second... and I did let you touch me. No actual spankings last that long or involve that much squeezing. Besides, our parents are cousins so it would hardly be unusual.” Ravel pointed out as Riser stared dumbly.

“You know what, let's move on. Just sit there and be quiet please.” Riser asks tiredly, disappointment clear on his face as Ravel looks at him smugly. I get the feeling she isn't exactly happy about the whole being given away for a Rias Sex-doll either. “So, you decided to go through with the whole business idea then?” Riser asks making me nod easily.

“Pretty much, not exactly sure how it is going to work but I have nothing to lose. I'll go into the Wardcrafting business in the future anyway so I could use the experience and the infrastructure already in place.” I agree making him nod.

  
“Makes sense, I've already got an idea for another pet I want even if I'm gonna have to wait to commission it, fucking punishments.” Riser mumbles as I raise an eyebrow. “Gonna be honest, hate-fucking Bette is a whole lot of fun and her complete obedience is sexy as fuck and that got me thinking... you know how many times Akeno has insulted me, that big-titty bitch loves taking shots at me since she knows I won't do anything since it'd make Rias cry to her brother, but quick question... could you make a Fallen Angel looking version of Akeno? She's half-Fallen and she fucking hates it.” Riser chuckles making me pause.

“I mean, adding black wings wouldn't be hard since I could do that with a crow but she wouldn't have any of the powers of a Fallen unless I can get my hands on some Fallen samples... which would piss of Azazel so I'm not doing that.” I continue making Riser shrug.

  
“It'd be great for her to have Fallen powers, but honestly I just wanna face-fuck a fake Akeno.” Riser admits.

  
“How very noble, brother.” Ravel says with a slight sneer.

“...I can and will commission a sex doll version of you if you don't shut it.” Riser says bluntly making her pause and glance at me.

“The customer comes first.” I say after a moment making her blush and look away as she mutters about idiot perverted brothers.

“Heh, anyway I'll help out a little when I am finally free from chores. Showing off Better Rias and making it clear where I got her is easy enough.” Riser promises easily making me smile.  
  
“Get anyone you send to say you sent them and I'll give you a discount on whatever you want making.” I offer making him chuckle.

  
“Referral benefits, gonna offer a loyalty card as well?” Riser laughs making me shrug easily, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. “I'm game though, I know plenty of rich dumbasses.

**+5 Reputation with Riser for the offer [40/100]**

“I'll add it to list of questions, should probably make a form for potential clients as well.” Ravel mutters as she pulls out a notepad and writes something down.

“I should probably get going before dad comes looking for me.” Riser says with a sigh.

“Before you go, I want to give Better Rias a check-up. I did make her while I was drunk and I want to make sure she isn't going to explode or anything like that.” I say making his eyes widen.

  
“Do your creations usually explode?”

“It's been known to happen, and I'm normally sober when I make them.” I admit as Riser gestures for Better Rias to slither over to me.

Placing my hand on her shoulder, I let my magic run through her as I make sure I didn't break anything when I made her.

You know, Nagas have all the genetic data of the humans that made them, and the magic used to change them is still within their bodies... so theoretically, I think I could add a trigger of sorts to make them change their between 'human' and Naga forms.  
  
Fuck it, if she explodes I'll make Riser a Rias/Akeno/Koneko set as an apology.

“Err, Kuro... why does she have legs?” Riser asks as Better Rias falls to her knees before rising, still smiling at us.

“Better Rias, change forms.” I order watching her legs grow scaly as her tail grows over them returning to her true form. “Better Rias, change forms.” I order again watching the scales recede and shrink back revealing her long naked legs. “Ha, I'm a genius.” I say smugly. “You're welcome, and it looks like she isn't going to blow up any time soon.”

Probably.

“You know... without the tail she just looks like Rias's less bitchy twin.” Riser points out as he looks over her.

“...so?” I ask making him smirk.

“Oh she is going to be so pissed off.” Riser chuckles making me pause.

“That sounds like a personal problem.” I say after a moment of thought.

“You won't hear any arguments from me-” Riser starts before a buzzing makes him flinch. “Damn it, I've gotta go. Ravel, I swear if I ever hear you saying you want a pet again I'll burn the fucker myself.” Riser promises as he rises, Better Rias joining him quickly as he gives me a nod. “I'll be around when I escape my punishment, later Kuro.”

“Later, Riser.”

**+10 Affection with Riser for giving him a way to piss off Rias [50/100]**

  
  


****[The Nobles Favour] – Riser Phenex [50]** **

**Nobles are hard to please at the best of times, but not for you. You have an instinctive understanding of how to appease the prides of nobles and gain their favour.**

“If you don't have anything else in mind, Sir, I can start setting up your business accounts for you... though, about the name.” Ravel pauses as I stare at her.

“...I can't be bothered to change it, just shorten it down to Inil Inc or something.” I order making her smile slightly as she bows.

“As you wish, Inil Incorporated it is.” Ravel agrees as I freeze, feeling one of my wards trigger hard.

Well, well... hello possibly vengeful and certainly angry spirit.

Time to deal with our little haunter while she is caught in the web I weaved for her.

“Thanks Ravel, now if you'll excuse me I have some personal business to take care off.” I say giving her a pat on the head as I immediately set off, knowing the Spirit could just fuck off back to the afterlife if I wait too long.

Reaching the spot I identified as her entry spot, and likely where she died, I pause as I get my first look at the Spirit that has been causing (Izan) so much trouble.

You know, when he said he was killed by a naked ghost with a sword I thought he was over-exaggerating to be honest, but as a pair of glowing white eyes turn towards me, a screech leaving the pale blue girl as she lunges, her blade unable to reach me as she hits the edge of the spirit ward I am careful to remain on the edge off I have to admit.

  
It's a pretty good description, she is a ghost with a sword and she is naked, well mostly naked as old dirty bandages wrap around her small chest and privates, providing little cover thanks to them rotting leaving her breasts and pussy on almost full display as she smashes her blade against the invisible barrier in an attempt to get to me.

She has some power to her, I can see that from her decent level, but this ward was made to contain rebellious spirits and she isn't making any progress.

I'd almost be aroused at the jiggling if it wasn't for one slight issue... her 'body' is in a seriously bad condition. Still bleeding cuts and wounds cover her body as the spectral blood falls to the floor and simply vanishing, she has shards of glass sticking out of her left shoulder and back from where she was thrown through the window, and in some places her limbs have been completely dismembered, not that it seems to be an issue for her as her lower arms simply hovering in place despite having been cut off with the same sword she is now trying to stab me with.

It didn't take long to find out what happened in the murder house I have been gifted, this isn't a very big town and something like a double murder suicide isn't easily forgotten.

“Rin Yamaoka, I assume?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Three people died here but Rin is the only one who was in her late teens, and her wounds match the police reports Sona got me.

It didn't surprise me that Sona has her fingers in the local services at all.

Despite her rage-filled face, there is a working mind in there somewhere and realising she can't get to me she simply glares at me, the sword in her hands twisting unnaturally as it sunk into her hand and vanished.

Neat trick.

“Leave my home.” Rin hisses, her voice echoing through the gardens as I stare at her.

“That's not really an option, I'm afraid.” I admit making her glare harder. “But we don't have to be enemies, I do believe this has been a rather unpleasant series of misunderstanding. I really don't care that you killed Izan a couple of times, it barely inconvenienced the bastard, but I can't have you attacking my guests.”

Honestly, Izan has probably already forgotten since he's been locked in his room with three servants ever since, he's got bigger things on his mind than ghosts.

“Leave. My. Home.” Rin repeats angrily as I smile.

“No, but I really don't think you have fought this through. With my little ward, you can't leave this spot and no matter how many times you leave and return, you'll be haunting this five meter cubic space for the rest of eternity, I can just have you bricked in and move on with my life.” I point out as she lets out a screech.

**-40 Affection with Rin Yamaoka for stealing her home [-50/100]**

“But you also haven't thought about what would happen if I actually left, and let this place fall into ruin. Real estate is in short supply around here and how long do you think people would wait before they simply demolished the estate and built over? You can't kill everyone who comes, and sooner or later you'd attract people with the power to erase you for good. Driving me away isn't a good idea.” I explain calmly, I don't know what happens when something like light magic or the power of destruction hits a ghost but if I can fight ghosts with fire magic then the devils and fallen could definitely deal with her if they wanted to.

But where others see crazy naked ghosts, I see an opportunity. I've always wanted a guard dog.

**\- Rin Yamaoka -**

Glaring at the smiling man, though she doubted he was truly human with how easily he restrained her, she thought about his words and despite the rage filling her she couldn't find fault in them.

“What do you want?” Rin asked, her voice weak from lack of use. There was something about this man that drew her in, it was why she chose the other spirit to start her attempts to drive them out (that and his use of her underwear and school uniform for his sick games).

Being in his presence, she could feel her rage subside slightly and her senses return somewhat, allowing her to do more than screech again. She didn't know what it was, and she certainly didn't trust it but it was nice to be able to speak.

With her mind returning, she also felt other emotions than anger and betrayal for the first time since her death, like embarrassment as she felt his eyes gaze over her almost naked body briefly.

She wasn't sure if the embarrassment was more from her exposed body or the destroyed state her father left it in, leaving her once attractive form looking like something from a horror movie.

“I want to be able to go about my day without worrying about someone wandering into this little section of the garden, and I want you to join me in protecting my new home... and I can make it worth your while. I brought Izan back from the dead, giving him a living breathing body. I can do the same for you.” the man offered, still smiling as she glared at him. “Or if that isn't convincing enough, allow me to alter my offer slightly. I can do the same _for your mother_.” he continued making her freeze in shock. “With a new body, she wouldn't even be bedridden. I can undo the crimes your father committed, and all I want is your loyalty. A small price, really.”

Looking into his confident gaze for a hint of deceit, Rin forced down the strange warmth that filled her spectral body before she faded from the mortal realm once more.

She needed to think, and she needed to do so while whatever magic he had over her wasn't clouding her judgement.

**\- Kuro -**

Oh well, I'm in no rush and the bait has already been thrown out. Besides, I have this.

**[Deathly Presence]**

**The Death Magic coursing through your body has taken its toll, leaving you pale and somewhat sickly looking, and you give off a natural aura that most living beings find intimidating or off putting. Undead creatures find this aura appealing.**

Her affection was slowly rising during the conversation, as one-sided as it might have been and by the time she decided to flee I got her back to -10 which is a start in turning her to my side.

She has potential, especially since I need something to help me wipe out the ghosts haunting the dungeon near my castle. The fact that there can be sentient beings in the dungeons has gotten me very interested in what is behind all the pissed off ghosts and undead that I used for grinding.

Or it might just be a tomb of angry ghosts, in which case I wanna kill them all and loot it.

I mean, am I really a murder hobo if they were dead when I got there?

Speaking off ghosts and making bodies, I have another ghost hanging around that I need to deal with. Azazel basically dumped Araquiel on me and she's just been hanging around the house avoiding basically everyone ever since and I could have sworn I saw her watching me through the ceiling earlier so I'd rather have her in a body that's easier to keep track off.

I need to stock up on human bodies very soon, I'm almost out but I have enough to make a human version of the Fallen, she won't have any powers but without Fallen samples I can only do so much.

Changing the bodies appearance to match the dead Fallen takes barely five minutes, and while I doubt I got all the details correct I also don't actually care that much so as I hollow out its mind and turn it into a servant I reach out through the magic I am using to keep Araquiel in this realm and call her to my location.

“Y-you called, Lord Dantali- Wait, is that... me?” Araquiel asks as she flies through the wall, pausing as she sees the body lying on the bed.

“Well yes, but actually no. It's a human body I've made some adjustments to so you have a body of your own. Anyway, in you go.” I say simply forcing her into the body. It's easy enough and I've seen Izan go in and out of his body enough times to know how to stick her in there.

She barely has time to let out a squeak before she is forced into her new body, sitting up quickly as she gasps, taking her first breath in centuries, her eyes looking around rapidly as I stare at her idly.

“There, now you aren't wasting my mana to maintain.” I say simply as she moves from the bed, rising to her feet with a baffled look.

“You just... made a body, so easily?” Araquiel asked, her voice ever so slightly wrong but I can fix that. Voice cords are a pain in the ass to work with and tapping her shoulder I quickly rearrange a couple of things to make her body more accurate.

“It was less that I made a body and more that I modified an existing one, which is childs play.” I say as I step back and give her body a look over, seeking out any flaws or fuck-ups I made in my haste. “There, that should be good enough.”

“I... it feels strange to have to breath again, and it has been a long time since I felt the cold.” Araquiel admitted as she looked towards the open window, a cool breeze blowing through the room before she pauses and looks down at her exposed body. “Umm, not that I'm not extremely grateful my lord but I- I didn't have breasts this big.” she admits making me glance down at the d-cup breasts.

Ehh, close enough.

“Shame, anyway Azazel wants me to keep you here and busy while he works out how to break the whole super-hell to the Fallen and I figured you'd want something to keep yourself occupied while you were hear, especially since I have no idea how long you'll be around.” I explain making her blush slightly even as she stares at me. “And he also told me you were a researcher of sorts before your death.”

“I, that's right. I was an archivist in Heaven before I fell and spent my days in the grand library of heaven.” Araquiel agrees making me smile at her.

“So I was wondering if you'd like a job, it comes with a bed, three meals a day and you get to earn that body.” I say, reminding her that she'd still be ethereal without me.

“O-of course, my lord. Whatever you want, anything is better than going back t-there.” Araquiel replies submissively as she moves back and sits on the edge of the bed. “D-do you want me on my back or... maybe on my knees?” she asks making me pause as I stare her down. “Y-you brought me back in your bedroom, with a more voluptuous body and want me to earn it, I can read between the lines. I-it's fine, I don't mind.”

“Obviously you can't, as I wanted you to work for me as my personal researcher.” I deadpan back at her making her eyes widen as she turns bright red. “This isn't my bedroom, it's yours now actually, and you're naked because I like being able to see what I am working with when I'm making modifications to bodies... that said, you don't mind, huh?” I ask with a slight smirk as her blush spreads down her neck, her face almost steaming.

“W-what do you want me to research?” she asks quickly making me chuckle to myself.

“Animals and magical creatures, along with legendary figures who have passed away.” I reply making her pause as I go through one of the drawers.

  
All empty, but I have a change of clothing in my inventory so I place my hand in the drawer and 'pull out' a plain white shirt and toss it at the embarrassed Fallen. I guess Lust wasn't one of her sins, though with how easily she offered herself I suppose it could be.

“I... don't understand, legends? Animals?”

“Specifically, I want to know about creatures either mundane or magical with interesting powers or abilities, and I want to know of skilled figures who have passed away. To be specific, I want to know their skills, powers and what afterlife you think they would have ended up in.” I explain making her eyes widen slightly.

She's a smart girl, and if I can call her back from hell I can certainly do it to others.

As she buttons up the shirt, which really just makes her more attractive because naked with just a half buttoned shirt is pretty fucking good, she takes a moment then nods.

“I can do that, if you can get me access to a good source of information.” Araquiel agrees making me smile at her.

  
“Excellent, follow me then. It's time you meet your coworkers, well co-worker at the moment.” I correct as I head towards where I can sense Ravel, Araquiel following behind me quickly and quietly, tugging at the end of her shirt to try and cover her pussy as we move through the somewhat bustling estate.

  
It doesn't help.

Opening the door, I pause as I step through the door and stare Ravel down as she looks at me and the mostly naked woman behind me curiously.

“...I was gone for like thirty minutes, tops.” I deadpan as I look around the former bedroom that has been redecorated into a little office in record time, the bed missing and a desk and computer in place as Ravel looks over some paperwork. “Did you bring the secretary outfit or did you have to go home for it?” I ask making her straighten up with a proud smile.

Her fancy red dress has been replaced with a simple black pencil skirt and a form fitting white shirt as she sits at the desk, piles of paperwork in front of her.

“Thirty minutes was more than enough, I sent Bülent home to get me some more appropriate clothing for my new role, that's all Sir.” Ravel explains proudly.

“Huh, nice work. Anyway, this is Araquiel and she's going to be Inil Inc's researcher for the foreseeable future. Get her a computer with a connection to the Devilnet... and some clothes please.” I order making Ravel nod immediately, not even questioning the clearly angelic name.

At least outwardly, at any rate.

“Of course, Sir. Do you have any preference on her uniform, or mine for that matter?” Ravel asks easily making me shrug.

  
“Nah, you do you. I'm pretty sure you two could pull off just about anything anyway. Good work, Ravel.” I say moving forwards and petting her head gently as I pretend not to notice that she's added a perch for Nyx in her office, or the bag of dried fruits that's already half empty as Nyx stares at me smugly.

That bird is going to get fat, and Ravel won't think she's so cute when she has to deal with phoenix gas.

“Thank you, Sir.” Ravel says with a blush as she bows slightly.

Riser lost out on this deal, he got a sex toy and I got out of a hell of a lot of work.

“I'll leave you both to it, no rush on the results Araquiel since I have a lot to deal with anyway.” I say as I leave them to whatever they are going to be doing.

I just want to keep Araquiel occupied since idle people tend to cause trouble, besides if having her work stops me from having to work myself I am 100% down.

I'm a busy guy, and delegation is one of my favourite words.

Right, looking over my short list of things I wanted to deal with today before I could go back to ~~sleep~~ studying my Grimoires, I quickly write out a note and pass it to my ever present Gadget, patting her bony head as the skeletal mouse runs through the house with the paper in her mouth.

I left Mickey and Minnie in the dungeon, because dog sized skeletal rats are rather noticeable so I decided they would be better off lurking around the tower watching for intruders.

Heading to my own office, I take a seat and simply wait as Gadget returns to me quickly, her job finished as she sneaks under the desk and hides. She knows her true purpose is simply to stay close enough to me that I don't get stuck with the undead debuff and is skilled at hiding away.

Now, I just have to wait for Aria to follow the order I sent her.

**\- Aria -**

Getting orders via skeleton rats was disturbing the first few times, but it was almost preferable to Nyx being sent as the prideful bird always deliberately burnt whoever she was being sent to out of spite.

The rat simply dropped the letter at her feet, and when she picked it up it scurried off to parts unknown, leaving her unsinged. It wasn't like Nyx ever truly hurt her, though the powerful bird could easily do so, but it was still annoying to deal with.

The order was simple enough, though she'd be lying if she wasn't slightly concerned as she arrived at Kuro's office, spotting him lounging in his chair as they gathered in front of him.

Beside her, Helia, Grayfia and the two new maids all lined up in front of the sleepy lord and waited for him to speak.

“So, the number of staff here has risen sharply, and I figured it was time to actually set the pecking order so to speak instead of leaving it vague which of you was in charge when I'm not around.” Kuro started as he confirmed her fear. “I know there have been some... slight disagreements over this.

  
Glancing at Grayfia, she resisted the urge to glare at the much older (and much more powerful) woman, she might have been a maid for centuries but she was barely a real servant, just some noble playing dress-up.

“Right, Aria step forwards.” Kuro said after a moment, watching her immediately step out of the line.

She was fairly confident that she'd done enough to keep her position, but she was Head _Slave_ and only she and Helia were actually slaves, unlike the three devils.

There was the chance that she'd be passed over to make one of the much more powerful women the head servant, and she couldn't completely hide her nerves as she watched him.

“From now on, you are the head of the house servants. Coordinating the rest of the servants is your job, as it keeping everything in order. As long as it doesn't contradict an order from me, the rest of you are to obey Aria as if the words came from my mouth.” Kuro ordered making her fear fade away as a triumphant smile broke out on her face, smugly staring back at the irritated Grayfia. “Bülent, Marion. I want one of you two to be assigned to serving Ravel at all times, she is going to be working hard on my behalf and I want to make things as easy as possible for her. Aria, you can take care of the actual scheduling because I hate dealing with minor details like that.” Kuro admitted as she nodded immediately.

“Of course, My Lord. It will be easy enough to arrange alternating days.” Aria said, eager to prove he hadn't made a mistake.

“Good, you two can go about your business. Aria, Helia and Grayfia stay behind, I have more to discuss with you three.” Kuro said easily, the two maids bowing in unison as they departed.

They were well trained, and didn't share Grayfia's pride which made them far more pleasant to work with, though it would be interesting to see if that changed now that she was above them, despite being a human.

“Right, Aria and Helia first. Congratulations, you aren't slaves any more. Aria, arrange for a salary, you can access the Dantalion bank account anyway.”

Feeling herself freeze, she stared at Kuro blankly before she let out a quiet laugh which quickly grew into a full belly laugh.

  
Of course he'd be so casual about it, it was completely in character for Kuro to just be so utterly laidback and she should have known that by now.

“My Lord... what does that mean?” Helia asked hesitantly, confused by her new found freedom.

“Basically you do the exact same thing you do now but you get days off and money... I think? Aria will take care of it.” Kuro said easily, once again pushing the work towards her with his usual hatred of dealing with petty details.

“Of course, My Lord. You have my utmost gratitude.” Aria said quickly, amused that he told her to arrange her own salary. She wouldn't take advantage of his trust, not when she was closer than ever to her goal, but it was entirely in character for him to simply ditch the work and not care about 'minor details' like salary or schedules.

“Mhm, you can both thank me tonight, for now I need some time alone with Grayfia.” Kuro said, not even bothering to be suggestive making her smile again.

That was her Lord. The lazy, horny and surprisingly kind man she had all but raised, a part of her wished Lady Nyra could see her son, but with the spirits floating around it seemed ever more likely that she just might.

Which was worrying as Nyra would not take someone else being in charge well, and Kuro was far less of a pushover than his father was. It was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, if Kuro ever decided to summon his parents spirits.

  
Neither would approve, for different reasons. Kuro was far too hedonistic for his father, and with Kuro being Lord Dantalion his mother would hate not being the one in charge any more.

But that was for the future, for now she had work to do and a promotion to celebrate... bowing deeply she gestured for Helia to follow her as she left the office, seeing Kuro's smile turn to a slight scowl as he turned to the silver haired maid.

Sucks to be her.

**\- Grayfia -**

As Kuro turned his stare her way, she met it stubbornly, already feeling her pride cry out at the idea of some human girl being her superior.

“You know, I really don't think you get the whole servant thing.” Kuro started making her pause in confusion. “Do you know that servants aren't supposed to just wander off when they want to, even when their masters are distracted?”

Ahh, that was what this was about, her decision to leave the 'party' early.

She had hoped that he was too drunk to notice that she snuck away after they moved to the Phenex manor, but clearly she underestimated him.

“You seemed occupied with Lady Phenex, and I believed you wouldn't mind me calling it a night early.” Grayfia said after a moment, making him smirk slightly.

The truth was she was afraid she'd be made to drink with the others, something she had avoided carefully. She wasn't an angry or sad drunk, she was simply a very horny drunk and she didn't trust herself to not humiliate herself in front of both her mother in law and the Phenex family.

“You believed wrong.” Kuro said simply as he looked her over. “I know you just cosplay as a maid for whatever fetish you have, but servants don't leave until they are dismissed, and I didn't dismiss you.”

Gritting her teeth, she glared at him lightly. She did not have a fucking fetish, she wore a maid outfit because she had been raised as a servant for the Lucifer house, and even though she had turned on her family she had simply changed who she served.

From Lucifer, to Sirzechs to Kuro. Quite the downward spiral.

Perhaps that wasn't fair to Sirzechs, but she couldn't help but think that Lucifer had far more pride than Sirzechs, and would be far less willing to pass his wife to another man, and he certainly wouldn't let himself be paralysed to inaction like Sirzechs had.

Despite the propaganda the New Satans had spread, she wasn't convinced that the new Satans were truly stronger than their predecessors, she had seen Lucifer in battle before and while she was sure Sirzechs could match him she wasn't convinced he could actually beat the original Lucifer.

And now she had gone from serving the two most powerful men the Underworld had ever seen to submitting to a child, a smug teenager who had her under his control.

He had a fraction of her power, and yet she was stuck obeying his whims because her husband wasn't willing to use his immense power, both political and magical, to simply make him back down.

“I... apologise for my misjudgement.” Grayfia said reluctantly, putting her thoughts behind her. No matter her thoughts in the situation, it didn't change the fact that she was stuck serving Kuro until Sirzechs decided to put a stop to it.

“You know, you are kinda bad at this whole serving thing.” Kuro continued as she clenched her fists. Logically, she knew he was right. It had been centuries since she served the Lucifer house and Sirzechs had always had far more lenient, she had grown prideful as the Strongest Queen and forgotten what it felt like to actually be a maid. Lilith would have had her sent to the punishment chamber and broken her if she was this disobedient in the past. “But I do think you're learning, very very slowly. Lift your skirt.” Kuro ordered making her internally sigh.

Gripping the edge of her uncomfortably short maid skirt, she lifted it calmly as she gave him a deadpan stare. She knew what he was checking for, and as he glanced down at her naked slit, she knew she had passed this little test.

She had learnt her lesson last time, and even if she disliked it she wasn't going to give him more reasons to 'punish' her by disobeying and wearing underwear without permission.

She doubted she could get out of her time serving him without being fucked, but she had no reason to speed things up.

“Good girl.” Kuro praised as he rose from his seat, walking around his desk towards her. “Sit on the edge of my desk.” Kuro ordered as he reached her, making her move quickly as she reluctantly hopped up onto the desk.

Standing in front of her, he placed a hand on each of her legs and slowly parted them, moving between her spread legs with a smirk as he gripped the top of her tight uniform and tugged it down, watching her breasts bounce free with a lusty smile.

“You know, I've been thinking about how to actually punish you if you keep being disobedient, and I think I've worked something out.” he said simply as he reached down and ran his middle finger along her slit, his free hand reaching up and groping her breast roughly.

“And what would that be?” Grayfia asked, keeping her voice steady even as his finger pushed into her and started to slowly pump into her pussy, quickly followed by a second one.

Instead of answering, he simply laughed quietly as he added a third finger and sped up his fingering of her, a reluctant moan managing to escape despite her best efforts to keep quiet as he leaned forwards and latched his lips onto her other breast, his teeth grazing against her nipple lightly as he swirled his tongue around it.

Despite herself, she couldn't stop her body from reacting to the unexpected pleasure. It had been a while for her and everything she had done here had been for Kuro's pleasure, not hers so the sudden change caught her off guard. She couldn't stop herself from moaning quietly as he pleasured her, making him smirk around her tit as he stared up at her, nor could she stop her pussy from quickly growing sticky with her arousal.

His smug look pissed her off, but she could do nothing to quell the slowly approaching orgasm even as she closed her eyes to avoid looking into the entirely too amused gaze.

Feeling her climax approaching, she clamped a hand over her mouth out of spite to stop him from having the satisfaction of hearing her cum. She hadn't been ordered not to, so she wasn't disobeying, right?

Letting out a muffled moan, her pussy tightened down on his invading fingers for a moment before he pulled back, leaving her quietly panting, still confused over what he was trying to achieve.

That confusion vanished the moment she heard a camera shutter, her eyes shooting open as she glared at him, his smirk growing as he took several pictures of her.

She looked a mess, her top pulled down and her skirt pushed up as she panted with flushed cheeks and a wet cunt, and she didn't even want to think about how those pictures looked.

“You, Grayfia, are incredibly prideful... and I've put some thought into how to punish you in a way that would actually affect you. This is it, I don't need to punish you directly when I can target that pride of yours.” Kuro said smugly as she froze. “Posting pictures on the Devilnet, taking you out in public in the sluttiest outfits I can get my hands on, making you blow me in the middle of a busy club.”

“S-Sirzechs wouldn't be pleased if you damaged my reputation so badly.” Grayfia warned quickly as she felt her heart skip a beat. This would be something that followed her even after she got away from Kuro, and just being seen in a club wearing a small dress and letting Kuro grope her had been bad enough. She wasn't Serafall, willing to have pictures or even videos of her exposed body on the Devilnet for anyone to see.

She'd already seen the gossip rags talking about her and Venelana's night out with Kuro, complimenting her long legs and wondering how the night had ended. The fact that they left with Kuro and Riser meant she had to deal with false rumours that her night had ended with an orgy, and she had no doubt plenty of idiots believed both she and Venelana had spent the night being fucked by the two young devils.

Some had even suggested that Zeoticus and Sirzechs had issues performing and that they had gone to Kuro for sex, or that the Dantalion family were joining the upcoming Phenex-Gremory alliance, and she and Venelana had been offered to the Phenex and Dantalion men as incentives in exchange for wards and Phenex tears.

Devils loved rumours, the more scandalous the better and how realistic it was barely mattered. It was just some shitty gossip site using click-bait titles to get views but it didn't matter since some people would believe it.

She didn't want to give them more to work with than she already had, as these rumours would already stick around for years thanks to her infamy.

Millicas would hear rumours of her being used as a bartering chip in the future, or that she sought out a younger lover because his father could perform. Millicas's future enemies would use it as a weapon to get to him, regardless of how true it actually was.

“Actually, I asked permission. He said, and I quote 'that as long as you were serving me, I could discipline you however I pleased.'” Kuro refuted as her eyes widened in shock, the sting of betrayal hitting deep.

“I... I see.” Grayfia said, defeat colouring her tone. Kuro was right, of course, he had worked out exactly how to punish her when she displeased him, and with Sirzechs throwing her to the wolves she was left with one choice.

Do whatever it took to get through this with her reputation somewhat intact.

“I imagine you do.” Kuro said calmly, smiling at her. “If you behave, we can keep your service entirely private. Any pictures will be just for my own private viewing and you can wear your new maid outfit in public, more revealing than what you might be used to but it still covers the essentials.” Kuro reassured her. “If you impress me enough, I might even let you wear some panties when you go out in public as well.”

Sighing as she stared him down, she had to give him credit. He knew how to force her to play his games.

“What do you want, my Lord?” Grayfia asked with a defeated sigh, until Sirzechs decided that she had been punished enough she was stuck following Kuro's whims.

And since Sirzechs obviously had a plan that involved Kuro, she was likely going to be left with him for the foreseeable future. If she was being whored out for Sirzechs gain, she would at least be able to respect his devilish behaviour but she was being given to Kuro for _Rias's_ gain.

There was nothing respectable about Sirzechs's decision to let his wife be fucked by a much weaker devil to help his spoiled sister get away from her responsibilities.

“Right now? I think I want a blowjob while I work, you don't mind, do you?” Kuro asked as he retook his seat behind his desk, spreading his legs as she held in her sigh.

Moving around the desk herself, she dropped to her knees and crawled into the tight confined space beneath it, trapping herself as Kuro moved his seat forwards. Undoing his belt she quickly extracted his cock and grasped it, not bothering to pull her top back up as she leaned forwards and took his length into her mouth.

She half expected mockery or gloating as she got to work, obediently blowing him under his desk, but Kuro simply opened an old looking book and started reading with a focused look on his face.

She didn't know how long she spent down there, but she learnt first-hand that Kuro had impressive stamina after the first load flooded her throat, only for him to grip her hair and make her do it all again, his shaft remained solid as he barely glanced down at her.

As a ringing filled the office, she paused for a second but continued bobbing her head after a hand rested on her head warningly.

“Hello?” Kuro answered as he left his phone on the side, clearly on speaker as she made sure to quieten her sucking.

“Ah, good. I was worried you'd be busy, Kuro.” her husbands voice called out making her eyes widen, pausing again before Kuro simply looked down at her sternly.

Going back to sucking, she mentally shrugged. Sirzechs knew this was happening anyway.

“Lord Sirzechs, this is a bit unexpected. Is there something I can do for you?” Kuro asked, one hand guiding her head along his shaft as she blew him, his gaze still on the book in his free hand.

“There is actually, I had a... inquiry regarding your new business. Are you alone at the moment?” Sirzechs asked as she froze in place.

“...I am, I'm just doing some research in my office.” Kuro lied, looking down at her with a smirk as she remained completely silent.

“Excellent, I will require your utmost discretion in this matter but I was wondering if you were open to commissions already?” Sirzechs asked making her narrow her eyes darkly, glaring at where the phone was on the desk above her.

“Technically not yet, but I can make an exception for a Satan.” Kuro replied easily, his hand gripping her hair and forcing her to go back to sucking.

“Wonderful, then to business. What would it cost to have a basic human looking doll shaped to look like... well, to look like Rias, similar to the one you created for Riser Phenex, just without the snake additions.” Sirzechs asked making her dig her nails into Kuro's legs accidentally as she tightened her grip on them, anger filling her as Kuro smirked down at her.

  
“I'm sure we can come to an agreement, though the one made for Riser isn't exactly accurate since I just eyeballed it, if you want one modelled to exact specifications I'll need a chance to get Rias's measurements.” Kuro explained easily.

“I see, I'm sure I can find a way to arrange that, give me some time and I'll get back to you.” Sirzechs replied as she resisted the urge to speak up.

That... that piece of trash. Selling her out to 'save' Rias, all while arranging to get a sex toy made to resemble her?

“Of course, you have my number.” Kuro said simply as he said his goodbyes, ending the call.

“You lied to him.” Grayfia accused after a moment.

“I was told that you were basically an extension of your King, so why would I feel the need to tell him you were hear? Surely you can hear everything your King had to say.” Kuro defended amusedly, smirking down at her.

“A fair point.” Grayfia admitted, making him chuckle. It was bullshit and they both knew it, he had an idea of what Sirzechs wanted and wanted her to hear it.

“Now, get back to work.” Kuro ordered as she paused, before smirking back at him.

“Well played, Lord Kuro.” Grayfia admitted reluctantly, parting her lips and taking his shaft between them, looking up to meet his amused stare.

“I have no idea what you mean.” Kuro said in the least convincing voice she had ever heard.

Sirzechs had zero respect for her, that much was clear, and this had convinced her of one thing. Venelana was right, Sirzechs was helping Rias because Rias likely tried to seduce him, probably succeeding.

Her husband had been talked into breaking his oh so important honour and abuse his power, the same power that could have stopped her from being forced to serve Kuro, because his bratty spoiled little sister seduced him.

He wouldn't lift a finger to help her, but Rias gets his help just because she offered herself to him.

She'd be less insulted to find out Sirzechs accepted the offer, spent a night defiling that brat then sent her away with nothing at all, Rias would certainly deserve the shame and humiliation.

...Rias needed putting in her place.

**\- Bonus Scene - Hades -**

In truth, he had almost forgotten about his brief alliance with Loki from ages past and getting a garbled letter from the Trickster had been an unpleasant surprise even if the brief break from the monotony of dealing with his duties as a God of the Dead had been appreciated, though he would never admit it out loud.

Before the Biblical God's death, there was an agreement between the Heavens and Olympus to gain their assistance against the Devils, and part of it meant that any Greek soul would come to his realm regardless of their religion, along with several other Mediterranean countries. It was one of the reasons they maintained much of their power unlike so many other pantheons.

Heaven had tried to change it since, but with God dead they lacked the power to do so and relationships had soured in the long centuries. It was the way of every faction that survived for too long, everyone had bad blood with everyone else.

It left him with no end of souls to deal with, and while he enjoyed the power it gave him he certainly didn't appreciate how his brothers sitting on their mountain dumped all the work on him while they sipped ambrosia and molested mortal women.

And he certainly didn't appreciate the way they would most likely throw him to the wolves when Odin came for him, with a battle-hungry pantheon at his back.

Zeus might decide to support him for the sake of his pride as the self proclaimed King of the Gods, but most of Olympus would simply scoff and leave him to his fate, seeing it as simply the consequences from allying with the trickster after Athena had warned him that it was unwise.

He hadn't decided to kill Freya lightly, in fact he hadn't decided to do so at all.

During the Great War, the Norse assisted the Grigori and as war-loving as the barbarians were they wasted no time causing utter chaos amongst every other faction, and it was only after Freya and her Valkyries decided to 'rescue' thousands of souls from his realm had he decided that enough was enough and started to plot against her.

He should have known better than to trust Loki, but when the trickster came to him with his plan it seemed so perfect. Loki would lure Freya away from her admittedly extremely powerful husband and between them they would capture her and imprison her in Tartarus, using her as a hostage to force Odin to leave the war. Zeus approved of the plan, holding Odin's Queen hostage amused him deeply thanks to the eternal dick-measuring contest between them and he went through with it.

And then after he weakened the Valkyrie Queen, Loki stabbed her through the heart and fled the scene leaving him with the rapidly dying Goddess.

Never trust a trickster, especially one as chaotic as Loki.

Loki had been the one to convince Freya to steal away the souls from his realm, all in a long and complicated plan to slay the Goddess over some slight between them.

And he'd been made the fool who would take the blame, even after he hid the body and destroyed as much evidence as he could.

Odin wouldn't care that he only meant to capture Freya, he'd felt the other gods rage from here and there would be little communications before Odin stormed his realm, possibly with Thor and many other powerful and bloodthirsty gods at his call, and he couldn't count on Olympus to aid him.

Ares would, if only for an excuse to fight the Norse, and he could perhaps bring more of his pantheon to his side, but he had few he could truly rely on.

“My Lord, you look troubled...” his Queen said gently, making him look up from the letter he had been staring at, her emerald green eyes staring at him in concern.

“Call the Furies, Nyx and Cerberus, Persephone, and bring me my best parchment. War is coming.”

**Authors Note: I'm suddenly working a lot more so not sure how often updates will be, they'll come when they come I guess. Messaging me asking for reviews isn't going to speed things up, if anything it kills my motivation and delays the chapter.**

**Next Update: Slippery Slope or Freedom .5**


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